The Queen's Omega
by Gravity In the Air
Summary: my own take on omegaverse. omega emma, alpha regina. AU. Regina, having been without a mate for decades, thought she was just above the ABO class system... at least until Emma crashes into her life. Life gets turned upside down for our beautiful ladies as they navigate life in a small, cursed town along with finding their mate in each other.
1. Chapter 1

_**PROLOGUE**_

 _"Regina, please! Don't do this!"_

 _The Evil Queen gave a vicious smirk as thick purple smoke swept rapidly through the kingdom. Her revenge was finally happening. She'd finally get victory in watching everyone else be as miserable as they made her. "I think I shall leave you with the memory that you chose to throw away your only child."_

 _Snow watched in horror as her stepmother flicked her wrist and muttered some incantation. She would honestly rather be dead than endure the unknown curse, only remembering having to give Emma away… no, Regina had said throw your child away. The last thought that consumed her before being enveloped by the cursed vapor was about how she'd be able to survive so long as Charming was with her._

 _Being the first to wake in this new world the curse had brought them to, Regina found she had little to no magic left, except the ability to spy on people through the mirror. Once she got over the strange clothing she was wearing, she set to work seeing how the peasants were reacting._

 _Snow woke up coughing and clutching at her chest, the name David on her lips. "David?" Mary Margaret's hands flew down to her still soft belly, sobs immediately wracking her small frame. Why would she be calling out for the man who refused to be a father to their child? The man who she gave her heart and body too only to wind up crushed when he chose to stay with his wife? "Fuck David!"_

 _Chocolate eyes widened at blood red lips uttering words she didn't even know the former princess knew before cackling with glee at the broken woman on the tiny apartment floor. Oh yes, if the peasants were half as miserable as little Snow White, then it was all worth it._

 _The daily routine seemed programmed for which Regina was grateful because she had absolutely no idea otherwise how to work any contraption in her castle, no… home. Home was the right word here. She came to an abrupt halt in front of a large metal contraption. Despite knowing the curse gave her knowledge on… driving… a car? The brunette paused to scrunch up her forehead in confusion. "Forget it, I shall walk to work."_

 _A mousy redhead greeted her at the doors to the biggest building in town, City Hall, where she was the mayor. Regina smirked as the girl approached with an armload of files. "I've been trying to reach you for an hour. You're never late. The phon-"_

 _"Excuse you, April, but I am never late. The office doesn't open for another half hour."_

 _"Yes, but you are normally here at least an hour early. Everyone knows this. You had a meeting I had to reschedule and-"_

 _Mocha eyes flashed dangerously. Regina stepped closer to her secretary who was now shaking slightly, blue eyes not daring to meet hers anymore. "The office does not open for another half hour. Rescheduling is your job, Mrs. Phillips. You'd do well to remember your place." Satisfied the girl was submissive once again, she sauntered down the hall, April rushing after her. She paused, turning to finally meet sky blue eyes wide with apprehension. "The next time you feel like challenging an alpha, you'd better be prepared to follow through. Know your place, Mrs. Phillips."_

 _April nodded, scurrying past to place the day's files and messages on the mayor's desk before hurrying back out of the grandiose office. "Bloody woman thinks she's the queen of England."_

 _Choosing to ignore the snide comment, Regina puzzled over her statement. Alpha? What the hell was an alpha and why did she know she was one? Sitting at her desk, the former queen started doing research, learning all the odd rankings in this world… alpha, she definitely was an alpha. No question about it. Betas, weak, boring little peasants for certain. She doubted many other alphas existed here now, none that dared go up against her anyways. A bit more research and she stumbled across… omega. A rare creature indeed, none of these pathetic gnats would be worthy of being an omega._

 _"Madame Mayor? Maya Croft is here to see you."_

 _Maya? Who the hell- It suddenly clicked in Regina's head. Maya was Maleficent. The dragon was here, and apparently still her friend. Smiling, she told the girl to send her in._

 _The blonde strolled in, huge matching smirk on her face that almost made Regina question if the fairy knew everything like she did, but when a steaming container filled with a Florentine omelet was set in front of her, she knew Maleficent had no idea._

 _"That insipid little trollop called into the store for a gallon of rocky road, you would think she'd get over a married man in a coma and just move on with her life already." Maya rolled her eyes, opening her own container full of blueberry pancakes and digging in._

 _Regina smirked at the answers she was looking for made themselves known. So the spoiled brat of a princess and her shepherd are betas in this world. The curse just kept getting better and better for her. She racked her brain for knowledge on as many people's new identities and rankings as she could. There were indeed very few alphas in town, none that would stand up to her. Secure in the knowledge that her happy ending was finally beginning, the mayor leaned back in her chair and savored the breakfast delight with content._

 _The day passed in a whirlwind of monotonous meetings and endless paperwork to read over and sign. Her secretary bid her goodbye promptly at five, practically tripping over herself to leave. She decided to stay a bit longer, get some more work done, that is until her stomach grumbled so loudly the sound echoed around the spacious room. She packed up for the day and headed to the diner._

 _Conversation seemed to pause for a few seconds as the patrons all stared at the mayor. Ignoring them, she marched up to the counter and waited for the young waitress to realize her job needed doing. After a few minutes, much too long in Regina's books, she moved closer to Ruby and her friend, unabashedly eavesdropping._

 _"- And she just took the whole thing in her mouth and just sucked, hard, I thought I was going to blow my load right then and there," Ruby said to her friend, a glazed look in her eye. "But I held off because I wanted to have a different part of her wrapped around my dick if you know what I mean."_

 _"I may not be as prolific with the betas as you are Ruby, but that doesn't mean I'm celibate."_

 _"I don't know how you do it Ai. Whenever I smell an unmated beta in heat, my dick just grows in and I have to have them. Sure I have to fight off the other alphas, but they're not much of a challenge. That one-handed fishmonger Craig down at the docks is particularly weak," the waitress scoffed. "Having a beta wrapped around my length is better than having to take it in hand to make it go away. Can't exactly walk around in this waitress uniform sporting a boner now can I?"_

 _Regina blanched. So many questions run through her mind. Heat? Could she ever remember being in heat? If the former warrior and the wolf girl were alphas and both grew… her nose scrunched up at the idea of growing a male appendage. Why did she never grow one if she was certainly more of an alpha than these two._

 _"Madame Mayor?" Ruby noticed the mayor's blank stare and realized she was lucky for the distraction or the fellow brunette would have had her head for not promptly taking her order. She waved her hand in front of the woman's face. "Madame Mayor!" Clarity came back to dark eyes and the waitress gave a small smile, quickly pulling her hand away from the woman's face. "What can I get you?"_

 _Ten minutes and one cobb salad later, Regina was back home and on the computer doing further research on alphas, heats, and anything she could find. It took a good hour before a minuscule blurb buried among the article was the gold she was looking for. 'A minute portion of female alphas do not grow a penis.' Breathing a sigh of relief, she left her office to go pour a glass of wine to accompany her dinner. She settled into her seat with her wine and dinner, content that she had finally won, completely missing the vital portion of the paragraph on the computer she forgot to shut down…. 'until they meet their mate. These females are an exclusive set of alphas known as alpha primes.' Had she finished the paragraph, her mood certainly wouldn't have been so victorious._


	2. Chapter 2

Emma sighed and pulled at the hem of her skintight red dress. She didn't hate dressing up, quite the opposite. No, she hated getting dolled up in order to catch her sleazebag clients who jumped bail and are hurting their families. Tonight the game plan was to pretend it was her birthday. The birthday rouse always worked in securing her target.

Her 'date', Ryan, was already seated at a secluded table towards the back of the dim restaurant. If she hadn't have spent so much time with his wife and kids lately trying to help them out, which _he_ should have been doing, she might not have recognized him since his mugshot was very outdated. Smiling, she sat down across from him.

"You're actually here… and you look…"

Green eyes narrowed slightly as she watched his beady eyes trail up and down her form. Shifting uncomfortably, she reached for her water glass. "Surprised?"

The dark haired man nodded. "Most women don't use their actual photos so you never know who is going to show, but you are by far the sexiest woman I have ever laid eyes on."

"I doubt that." Emma barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This man was absolute alpha scum. "Man like you can't possibly be single."

Ryan's eyes widened slightly as he glanced down at his bare ring finger. There was a slight discoloration from where his platinum band usually was, but surely this woman couldn't know.

Emma smiled brightly, hand reaching out to cover his own. "Hey, it's okay. We all have needs. It can be our little secret."

"So, Emma," the deadbeat returned her megawatt smile and inched closer across the table, "tell me about yourself. What's a gorgeous woman like you doing out all alone? I'm surprised your nights aren't filled with fun and excitement, clubbing perhaps?"

"It's my birthday today, actually. A dinner sounded perfect."

The man instantly squared his shoulders, feeling his luck getting better and better. Birthdays were always a good excuse to get a girl drunk and more inclined to continue the date at her place. "You're spending it with me? I'm honored, but what about your friends? They didn't want to do anything with you tonight?"

Shrugging, Emma ran her finger around the rim of the water glass. "I'm kind of a loner. That's why dinner sounded so enticing. Good food and hopefully even better company." She smiled and studied him under her lashes knowing he was falling right into her trap. Cocky alpha males were so easy to manipulate.

"I can show you a night you've never even dreamed of." Ryan waved the waiter over before turning back to his date. "I can't believe your family didn't put up a fight to spend time with you today."

"Don't have a family to fight over me." Emma frowned slightly as her pig of a date ordered for her without even giving her a chance to see the menu. She rarely ate steak, was feeling more baked white fish tonight than red meat, but apparently her 'birthday' wasn't even going to include a decent meal.

"Everyone has family. Surely-"

Emma's gaze narrowed, Ryan noticing for the first time and pausing mid-sentence. "Technically I suppose so, but not everyone is lucky enough to know them. Scared off yet?"

Ryan flashed her a dazzling smile, reaching over to cup a velvety soft cheek. "Not a chance. I am going to make sure you remember this birthday for years to come."

Emma scoffed, thankful that a bread basket was placed in the middle of their table as distraction. It saved them from awkward conversation until their plates arrived and the man wanted to know what she thought of him.

"Come on, darlin'. I'm showing you a good time. The least you could do is tell me if we're going to continue this little party at your place."

"You want to know what I think?" Ryan nodded causing Emma to shift from saccharine sweet to intensely pissed off. "I think that you believe just because you're handsome and charming that you can get any woman under you. That you think no one knows how much of a douche you really are."

"What?!"

Emma leaned across the table to stare closer into beady blue pools of deceit. "I think you're a pathetic excuse for an alpha, abandoning your wife and three kids. Fiona put up your house as collateral to get you out of jail. You repay her by being out on a date with me when you haven't been home in three weeks. Your little girl, Livvy, cries every night you're not there to read her a story for bedtime. Gavin has started acting out in school, refusing to listen to your wife, and hurting his younger brother. Jesse just sulks around, lost interest in everything. Do you even care that you're ruining your family? No! You're out gallivanting around like a single teenage male ready for a frat party."

Balking, Ryan jumped up from the table, knocking his chair backwards to the floor and earning attention from the rest of the restaurant. "Who are you?"

Entirely unimpressed, Emma dabbed her napkin on the corners of her mouth before calmly standing as well. "The chick who put up the rest of the money, the one who has been trying to make sure your children don't become homeless because you're a pig."

Sputtering, Ryan glanced frantically around the room looking for an exit. "You're a bail bondsman?"

"Bail bondsperson, actually, and surprise." She flashed him a grin, unsurprised when the deadbeat flipped the table towards her and ran. Sighing, she apologized to the wait staff before following the loser outside to his car.

Cursing, Ryan kept trying to rev the engine, going nowhere. Slamming the heel of his palm in anger on the steering wheel, the horn blared loudly.

"This car is going to your wife to pay some of the bills you left her with." Emma watched the man glare fruitlessly at the boot on his car before giving her a pleading look.

"I can pay you. You don't have to do this, please! My wife's parents will make sure they're okay."

Emma glared, crossing her arms over her chest. "Taking care of your family is your responsibility. If you had money, any decent alpha could take care of their own instead of running around town throwing it at strangers to get in their pants."

Ryan glared up at her, ready to take down this omega bitch. "Please, what the hell do you know about family? Stupid bit-"

Without a second's hesitation, Emma reached in through the open window and slammed the man's head against the steering wheel knocking him unconscious. "I really hate being called a bitch."

Unfortunately for Emma, the creep woke up halfway to the station, unbeknownst to her. Ryan kept up the charade that he was still passed out long enough to slip his cuffs from behind his body. Squinting to check if the blonde was still distracted, he waited long enough for her to haul him out of the car before jumping her, slipping his cuffs up around her head, digging into her neck to cut off her oxygen.

Emma struggled, using every trick in her book to get Ryan off her, to stop being choked. She heard the commotion of officer's radios about the scuffle, knowing help would be with her within seconds. The backdoor to the station opened just as her perp slammed her head into the brick wall.

"Swan? Swan, wake up."

"Huh?" Groggily coming to, a paramedic was leaning over her with a flashlight aimed at her eyes. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut and flinched away, head pounding with pain. "Did he-?"

"Officers have your bounty secured in a cell. I'm Kyle. Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

Emma begrudgingly sat through the endless screening before the paramedic cleared her to return home. She barely made it inside her apartment, happy to drop her heels on the carpet and sink into her sofa before her cell blared again. "Swan."

"Emmie?"

Surprise filled the young blonde as she pulled the phone away to look at her caller i.d. "Mo-… Sarah? Are you okay?"

Smiling in relief, Sarah nodded before giving a verbal response. "I was concerned about you. I know you were working tonight and when you didn't answer…"

"I'm… okay."

"Emma, don't lie to me." Sarah knew just from the young woman's tone that she was not alright. "Tell me what happened, baby."

The woman had been the closest thing to a mother Emma had ever found before she was snatched away, the government fearing what a single female alpha would do to an omega child. Emma had tried running away back to her, had cried for weeks afterwards, never finding someone she felt a parental connection to again. "Mommy."

Hearing how exhausted and defeated her baby was, Sarah quickly ran all possible scenarios through her head. "Emma, talk to me."

"I'm just so sick and tired of trying to live in this stupid city. No one lets me get any peace. Everyone feels entitled to try and be stupid around me. This latest perp got aggressive, and-"

"Aggressive how?"

Emma knew Sarah had just gone into alpha mother mode. The woman was terrifying when she thought Emma was in trouble or hurt. "Just some scrapes and bruises. The paramedics cleared me. Promise."

Sarah sighed, unsure how much to believe of Emma's reassurances. Her daughter always tried to be tough and independent, trying to prove an omega could stand alone in a sea of alphas and betas wanting to conquer her. "Baby, take a break. Come home and stay with me awhile, away from the city. You can finally meet my mate. You'd get on so well! It's quiet here, lots of parks and the ocean… you love the ocean. Please-"

"Okay."

"Just think about it. Sleep on it. You know I miss you and-"

Emma giggled, listening to her mother ramble on. "Mom, I said okay. I'll start out first thing tomorrow."

Elated, Sarah talked to her daughter for a while more before bidding her goodnight and safe travels. "Love you, baby."

"Love you too." There was no hesitation in Emma's words. She never second guessed herself with Sarah. She knew the woman loved her, recognized the older blonde as her mother despite the years of separation. She felt a huge weight lifted off her as she drifted to sleep. Her mother would take care of her. She was safe from the obnoxious people of the world around her mom.

Maya had only heard the last part of her wife's conversation and immediately grew jealous. She sidled up behind Sarah and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. "Since I'm right here, I know you weren't expressing your undying love for moi."

"Relax, my love. That was Emma." Sarah turned in her wife's arms, smiling gleefully up into stormy green eyes. She loved when her wife got all jealous and possessive over her at times. "She's coming home."

"Emma? As in…?"

Sarah nodded, leaning up to kiss Maya. "My baby girl is coming home." She paused, stepping back slightly, full of sudden nervousness. "Is that… is that okay?"

"Of course!" Maya tucked a strand of hair behind her woman's right ear. "So long as you're not expressing your love to any of the unworthy townsfolk." She smiled at Sarah's blush. "Your child is my child. We are mated for life. You are mine and I am yours. I shall welcome Emma into our home as if she were my own."

The pair anxiously waited, nervously cleaning the entire house waiting for the young woman to show up. Emma, with her few prized possessions and her wardrobe in a mere three boxes in the back of the bug, felt utterly lost in the middle of the vast expanse of forest, nothing telling her she was in the right direction or not. The only thing that stopped her from turning around and going to find a motel in the nearest city was the 'Welcome to Storybrooke' sign, the antique wood block fitting the charmingly quaint demeanor of the seaside town.

"Where is she? Boston is only a few hours away."

Maya pulled Sarah into her arms to stop the woman's frantic pacing. "Baby, calm down. I'm sure Emma is fine."

"Easy for you to say. You haven't formed your bond with her yet. She's-"

"She's pulling into the driveway, dear." Maya smiled and turned her wife to face the large bay window where an obnoxiously bright yellow bug was pulling up to the house. "Let's go welcome our daughter home."

Sarah pulled her wife down for a kiss. Her mate was truly remarkable. She hoped Emma took to her quickly. She laced her fingers through Maya's and practically dragged the taller woman out of the house with her to envelop her daughter in a tight embrace. "Emma!"

"Mom!" Emma returned the hug just as tightly, not really having realized just how much the woman truly meant to her and how much she needed her until she was back in her arms. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby." Sarah stepped to the side slightly, arm still around Emma in order to introduce Maya.

The taller blonde smiled warmly at the pair. "Hello, dear. I've heard so much about you. I'm Maya."

Green eyes narrowed slightly as Emma stepped closer into Sarah's side while she appraised the woman married to her mother. "Hi."

Sarah knew the response wasn't as warm and welcoming as both she and Maya had hoped, but Emma was a guarded girl, having to be tough in order to be independent. She had grown wary of most people by age seven and her nineteenth foster home. A 'hi' was better than nothing at all. "Let's get you inside. Have you eaten? I bet you're hungry. Come on, I can make you anything you'd like."

It wasn't until the ladies had Emma inside sitting at the kitchen table under the bright lights did Maya notice the severe purple bruising around the young woman's neck and right temple, the scrapes and scratches. She growled as she moved closer to inspect the girl. "Who hurt you?"

"It's nothing." Emma was taken aback by the woman's natural motherly instincts towards her. She was so unused to people caring for her, especially a virtual stranger, mated to her mother or not. "Job related injuries."

"Like hell." Maya snarled, pissed at whoever dared hurt this fragile child. She stormed to the freezer while her wife wrapped Emma in a hug, gently kissing the bruised temple.

"I'll take care of you, angel. You're safe now." Sarah gently rocked her baby as her wife placed an ice pack gently across Emma's neck. She could barely hold back her frustrated sobs. Clearly Emma wasn't fine, and judging by the injuries, she could have lost her daughter before getting to ever fully reconnect with her.

Emma snuggled in, letting down her defenses as the women doted on her. She knew she was safe now, didn't have to worry about life for the moment. Storybrooke could definitely be good for her. "I'm home, Mom." 


	3. Chapter 3

Regina sighed as she dragged her hand over her face. Despite trying to be daring and set her alarm for 6:07am instead of 6:03am, her body woke up promptly every day at three after six whether she wanted to or not. It was the same routine day in and day out. Nineteen minutes to shower, seven to dress, six to brew the coffee and place it in a to-go cup, and four minutes to work.

Her routine every day rarely varied. Even the days Maya popped by weren't all that random anymore. Kathryn hosted a ladies night once a week that involved trivia, lots of wine, and tales of romantic adventures with their various partners. Maya and Sarah were quite an interesting pair, two powerful alphas in a relationship. Her sister Lena had somehow managed to mate with Lacey, and while Regina found it somewhat amusing that dainty little Princess Belle was now a sassy, foul-mouthed bar wench, her heart ached for what all her friends had.

With a sigh, Regina dragged herself up the long staircase that would bring her through the doors to another monotonous day at the office. At least the curse had spared her having too difficult a day, just the usual headache from obnoxious peasants.

"Madame Mayor! Three people have alrea-"

"Save it, Mrs. Phillips." Regina was in no mood to deal with her abnormally perky secretary today. Giving Aurora a hard time also tended to make herself feel a little better, knowing Mal hated the girl so. "This morning I am doing paperwork until my meeting at nine." She made sure to have eye contact with the young woman. "Do _not_ disturb me. Understood?"

April nodded and quickly busied herself with the mayor's calendar. Only four hours until her lunch break. Wincing as the door slammed to the office, she sighed in relief. Every day she contemplated whether secretary to the mayor was worth it.

Regina slid into her office chair with practiced ease. A stack of files six inches high needed her attention. Most were petty complaints or expense reports. Nothing exciting ever came across her desk that truly sparked her interest. Time and again she'd wanted to liven up the dull town, but how do you liven up a town in a cursed fog?

' _Help! Sarah's daughter is coming today. While I've spoken to the girl on the phone, I've no idea how to connect with her. Emma is so guarded. If I don't make a good impression, Sarah will never forgive me.'_

Looking down at the incessant, frantic buzzing of her cell phone, Regina was surprised at the text from Mal. She'd heard the name 'Emma' mentioned a few times between the pair, but neither talked directly to her about the girl. Sarah was actually the third visitor the town had, and while newcomers were rare, it wasn't exactly uncommon.

' _She's a child, dear. Just be yourself and give her time. She will warm up to you.'_

After sending her reply to Maya, Regina turned her phone off. A child, that was something she had considered and hoped for many years ago after this curse started losing it's thrill. Sadly, the outside world didn't know they even existed, thus dashing another of her hopes.

"Mirror, show me Snow White."

Watching how meek and pitiful Snow had become as Mary Margaret didn't give her satisfaction like it used to, but it was still something to know her nemesis was suffering daily. The mousy woman would put on a good face and barely make it through the school day before returning home to cry her eyes out and stuff her face with ice cream. Oh how the mighty Snow White had fallen.

Meetings were always more tolerable after watching Snow failing miserably to keep it together. She suffered through peasants droning on and on about how they needed more money or more time to complete their mandated projects. The booming echo of the ancient grandfather clock in the conference room calling halt to their incessant noise.

"We shall resume after lunch. Please see yourselves out."

Archibald Hopper hastily gathered his things and rushed to chase after the mayor. "Regina? Regina!" He could hear the mayor sigh and watched her pick up speed in her dangerously high heels. "Madame Mayor, wait!"

Regina had almost made it down the block to Granny's Diner for her salad, not in the mood to deal with the cricket at the moment. Slowly she turned to him, body rigid and eyes full of contempt. "What is it that could not wait until afternoon meetings resume?"

"I, I just-" Archie stammered and stumbled over his words as he tried to juggle his briefcase and multiple files. "I was hoping to talk to you alone for a few minutes about the, uh, the plan for the co-comm-community centre."

"Mr. Hopper, I-"

The pasty man cleared his throat. "It's _Doctor_ Hopper."

Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Regina started tapping the toe of her right heel against the cement. As if she didn't know it was 'doctor.' She gave him the damn title after all. "Well, _Dr_. Hopper," She paused to sneer. "Your proposal has been reviewed and will be passed on to be addressed at the town meeting Wednesday night. You would know this if you bothered to read your email. Now, is there anything else or may I go eat my lunch in peace?"

"I, I, yes, of course. T-thank you, Madame Mayor." Archie fumbled adjusting his files once more, this time sending everything in his arms scattering down across the sidewalk and into the road.

Regina shook her head. Hopeless peasant. If she'd had her magic, she'd have created a lovely gust of wind to send him chasing papers all over town. Dismissing him from her mind, she turned abruptly on her heel and collided full force with another body.

"Oh." Emma frowned as the well dressed woman shrugged off her attempts to help her up. She could sense this woman was just itching to throttle her. "Sorry about that."

Before Regina could give a scathing reply to cut the woman down, the blonde had flashed her a smile and darted across the road. The putrid scent of synthetic alpha did little to mask the most intense aroma of vanilla and cinnamon she'd ever smelled. It made her mouth water, and overrode her brain with the desire to run after the woman and claim her.

So many thoughts and questions bulleted through her mind. Who was that woman? Why was she trying to mask her scent? Who had dare rough up what was hers? Regina froze mid-thought. Hers? The young woman with the princess curls cascading down her back wasn't hers… yet.

Ruby hated to snap the cranky mayor out of whatever thoughts she was having, but the brunette was holding the door open, and Granny would have a fit about it soon. She gave a small cough, the entire diner watching with rapt attention. "Um… Mayor Mills?"

Regina was about to tell off the girl, but something started stirring underneath her skirt, something entirely foreign and unfamiliar. With an undignified squeak, Regina forewent lunch and darted home as fast as her legs would carry her, forgetting her car was at City Hall. Panicked and out of breath, Regina collapsed against the door once it was shut with her safely inside.

"What the hell?"

Something was definitely stirring underneath her skirt. Whatever it was, it was now straining against the fabric, creating an unsightly bulge. Blood rushed through her body straight to her core, causing an immense amount of heat to fill the region as the bulge grew, creating a rather large and impressive tent in her skirt.

Whimpering slightly at the onslaught of new sensations, Regina dared to poke the bulge. Giving a small yelp as it moved in response, she kicked off her heels and raced upstairs straight through her bedroom into the bathroom. Unzipping her skirt, she hesitantly pulled the waistband away to see if the bulge was even real.

"How did I? Why?!"

Frantically wrenching her skirt down over her hips and to the floor, she kicked the item across the room, for once not bothering to take pristine care of her clothes. Her freshly manicured nails shredded apart her nylons, nearly tripping over her feet as the appendage sprang free, bouncing wildly as it pointed directly upwards.

"How did I grow a penis?!" Regina stared at the thing in horror. "It's so _ugly!"_

Poking it again only seemed to stir it further, more heat spreading through her pelvis. A small bead of what Regina could only assume was precum was bubbling from the dark purple tip. "Oh gods! Go away! Please go away!" She closed her eyes and wished with everything in her for the penis to go away to no avail.

"Why are you here? I don't have a mate. I don't even know what to do with you." Regina groaned as the damned thing just bobbed and swayed with her frantic movements, the erection not going down in the slightest. Intending to flick the gathered moisture away, the viscous fluid smeared on her fingers. "Gross! Gross, gross, gross!"

After washing her hands and glaring in dismay at the still ever present appendage, the mayor backtracked downstairs to her office donned only in her blouse with the intent to consult the all-knowing internet as to how and why this happened.

Not knowing where to start, she looked down at her new penis before back at the blank search box on Google. "What does one even search for? 'How to make an unwanted penis go away? How to get my vagina back?' This is ridiculous!" Ranting to herself, she began searching exactly the ideas she'd just tossed out and thought insane. There were all kinds of pages on genital surgeries and postpartum workouts to restore the body, but nothing about getting rid of an appendage that grew out of nowhere.

Growing frustrated with a lack of answers, Regina started searching how to get rid of an aroused penis. Sex certainly wasn't an option. No one in this town was worthy, no one she liked enough to even consider such a thing. Sad or scary video clips on YouTube didn't help either. The blasted thing was still pointing towards the sky, eager to get some action.

"Cold shower it is." Trudging back upstairs, she flicked the knob on her shower to start it up. She didn't want to freeze herself out, so the water was just under lukewarm. It did nothing to help the erection diminish though. "Ice then." The mayor cursed herself and the overly excited flesh between her legs as freezing cold water pelted down on her, feeling like needles incessantly drilling into soft flesh.

"Son of a bitch! Why are you doing this to me? What do you need to go away? I'll do anything!" Frustrated to the point of tears, Regina realized there would only be one course of action to make the thing go down if she wasn't going to find a bed partner. Once she had a warm handful of cinnamon massage oil, she grimaced, turned her head, and allowed her slim fingers to wrap around the thick, throbbing flesh. Despite the scent of the oil seeming to aid in arousal, the half-hearted hand job was not going as planned.

"Ahh!" Tempted to cut the damn thing off, she stormed stark naked back down to her office to figure out what she was doing wrong. "I have to enjoy this too?" She muttered as she followed instructions to dim the lights and find some enjoyable music, willing herself to relax before sliding her hand over slick flesh again. Once she relaxed, Regina was surprised just how amazing it felt to have an orgasm, never receiving the opportunity with Leopold.

Another shower, warm and comforting this time, and a cool pair of red silky pajamas, the mayor finally settled down with a full glass of cider, contemplating what to do about her current situation. For the time being things seemed to have… calmed down, but Regina had to figure out how to make it go away, have her original parts to return. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Mom, I promise, I'm fine." Emma pouted when Sarah's strong arms still didn't release her. She knew her mother was experiencing a storm of powerful emotions, but the bruises weren't a big deal. "Mom!"

Sarah finally released her daughter enough to lean back and stared into green eyes, assessing the hidden emotions there. "I'll show you where the bathroom is. You take a nice long bath. I wish you would have told me what happened, Emma. You know I-"

"I know."

Maya watched the pair, enraptured with the fluidity and strength of their bond. She couldn't imagine the agony either went through at being forced to separate. Her wife finally had her child back. One day she just hoped Emma would have even a quarter the affection she offered Sarah for she already loved the girl as her own.

Looking up from her daughter, Sarah caught her wife's expression and smiled. "Sweetheart, why doesn't Maya show you your room and where to take a bath? I'll make us some sandwiches to hold us over until dinner."

Emma hesitated, clearly wary of the older blonde, but she didn't want to disappoint her mother. With a shaky smile, she stood up and shuffled slowly behind Maya, who had insisted on carrying her box marked clothes up for her.

"We have two guest rooms. You're free to choose either, but your mom thought you'd like this one." Maya pushed the door to the larger room open, pleased at how the sun streamed through the window of the little turret nook. "You're welcome to decorate however you'd like. Through that door is the bathroom. It connects to the other guest room. That door over there is the closet."

"How did it go?" Sarah paused her work to give her wife a kiss once the woman re-entered the kitchen. She seemed happy, so Emma must have warmed up a little.

Maya sighed, wrapping her arms around Sarah's waist. "Very skittish, but we do have a date to go paint shopping to decorate her room as soon as she's ready. I left her to her bath."

"Well that's good, right?"

"No, Sarah!" Maya shook her head in disbelief. "It's not good that the girl is practically terrified of me. It's a miracle she didn't flat out refuse to follow me upstairs without you."

Sarah sighed and reached up to gently cup her wife's face. "Darling, you know Emma's had a very rough life. She distrusts most people. Talking on the phone and seeing her in person are two different things. Just give her some time. I promise she will come around."

"What if she doesn't? What if she doesn't, Sarah, and my child stays afraid of me? I don't want to force myself on the girl, so tell me what to do. Please, so that I don't have to walk on eggshells forever."

"Maya, you won't have to walk on eggshells forever. I know a 'hi' might not seem like much, but Emma acknowledged you. She's been looking you in the eye when talking to you. Emma is a vulnerable girl once she lets her walls down. Patience and action, my love. You will win her over by showing her you are a true alpha, that you won't hurt her, that you only want to love her as I do."

Maya released her wife to start pacing, raking her fingers through long blonde hair. "I just want to wrap her up and protect her. Whoever hurt her is lucky they're still alive."

Amused, Sarah let out a tiny snort, knowing full well her wife wasn't kidding. "I love you!"

"I love you too." Maya leaned in to kiss her wife, stopping just short of plump red lips. "You deserve to be punished for not telling me our child is an omega though."

"I don't see the big deal. So she's an omega, she's still Emma." Sarah leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest, immediately defensive of her baby.

Dark blue eyes narrowed at Sarah. "Do you not realize the dangers of a lone omega, no protector? Emma is lucky she's alive trying to be independent."

"You don't think I know that?" Sarah snarled, shoulders squaring as her anger flared. "Emma was ripped right out of my arms. I was forced to separate from my baby."

"Emma is battered and bruised. Someone nearly killed her. You're telling me her being an omega was never something you could have mentioned in all our years of marriage?"

A noise somewhere between a growl and a snort emerged from Sarah. "I barely got her back. Her being an omega never mattered to me because I _love_ her. I expected the same from you."

Maya moved up into her wife's personal space, planting her hands on the counter to ensure Sarah couldn't run. "Don't insinuate I don't care for her. She is our child. I'm just wondering how you plan on protecting Emma from a town that's never encountered an omega before. Every damn person is gonna be sniffing around looking to get a hold of her to brag they bedded an omega. You have left me entirely unprepared."

"We are going to be with her nearly all the time. It will take her a few months to adjust to Storybrooke. If we need to come up with a plan, we have time."

Scoffing, the older blonde just shook her head in disbelief. "You honestly expect such an independent young woman like Emma to want her mothers to tag along her every move? Use your head, Sar. That will not happen."

"You don't know her like I do." Sarah pushed off the counter, now nose to nose with her wife, eliminating the minuscule distance between them. "Emmie can easily be a homebody who enjoys spending time with me. You two need to get to know one another. There's no reason we cannot be around her all the time, at least in public."

"The best we might manage that is if we follow her constantly from the shadows. I may not know her well, but I know a wild spirit when I see one, and our girl isn't going to want many days holed up here with just us when there's an entirely new town to explore."

"There's not much to this town unless she's exploring the miles and miles of woods. We know most the townspeople. No one would dare try to hurt our baby."

Maya sighed in disbelief and annoyance at Sarah's stubbornness. "Emma is no longer a thirteen year old little girl. She's an omega, Sarah! An omega with a savior complex who clearly needs so much more than what she's been getting. Yes, she was ripped away from you. Yes, she is independent and has survived thus far, but the world, even a small town like ours, isn't meant for a lone omega. Her injuries are proof of that. These idiots are going to get one whiff of her scent and are going to be on her like bloodhounds. How do you expect me to protect her when you weren't even going to tell me she was an omega? How can I protect her when she's scared of me and every move I make?"

Neither paid much attention to how much time had passed, sandwich making forgotten in lieu of important discussion. Both failed to notice Emma creep back into the kitchen, hair damp and curling against the grey tank top, goosebumps breaking out along pale legs encased in mint green flannel pajama shorts.

"What do you expect the girl to do here once she gets bored of exploring our small town? Even homebodies like you think Emma still could be like to be away from their parents at times."

"I, I d-don't want you two to fight. Maybe coming here was a bad idea."

"Emma!" Both women spun towards the young woman who looked like a trapped animal ready to bolt any second. Sarah swiveled easily past her wife and made it to her daughter before she could flee, strong arms wrapping around Emma. "Sweetheart, no! No, no."

Emma tensed and winced as the hurt flashed through Sarah's eyes at her distress noise. "Really, it's fine. There's lots of places I can go. I don't want to be the reason you fight." She tried wriggling away, but she'd forgotten how strong her mom truly was.

Allowing her instincts to take over, Emma was soon flooded in calming pheromones. Sarah hated the barely audible distress whines her daughter was emitting. She stroked damp hair, humming an old lullaby she thought long forgotten.

Maya slipped around them, making sure the girl didn't have an exit while upset, her own instincts a bit slow to kick in, but kicking in nonetheless. The scent of her calming pheromones entirely different than Sarah's, but she didn't have time to question that. Wrapping her arms around her girls, she rubbed small circles on Sarah's back. "We weren't fighting because of you, dear. We were discussing how to best keep you safe. Your mother and I both want you to feel safe and loved here. I'm sorry if we frightened you. Please stay."

"No, really. It's okay. I'm used to the city. I'll be fine."

"Emma-"

"If you leave, dear, we will follow you because we love you." Maya dared to bring her face in near Emma's and nuzzle in, her pheromones exploding around the girl in hopes to calm her anxiousness. "We want you here. We love you. You deserve to be safe and loved. Please let us give these things to you."

Sarah nodded in agreement, nuzzling the other side of Emma's face, her own scent switching to soothe her baby, letting her wife take over calming her. Once she felt Emma relaxing, she let out a contented purr, further relaxing her baby.

Unused to being so overwhelmed by pheromones, Emma sunk into her mom, letting the lullaby and the contented purring fully calm her down. She knew her mother loved and wanted her, would say whatever she needed to in order to get her to stay. Her mother's mate, however, she barely knew outside the occasional short phone call. To hear her say she loved her and wanted her... maybe them being loud was just something to adjust to.

"Sarah?" Maya felt the shift in Emma, her slower heart rate and even breathing, before she heard the soft noises letting her know the young blonde had fallen asleep. "Darling, she's asleep. Let's get her to bed." She could see Sarah was about to protest and just shook her head, giving her wife a smile. "Our bed, Sarah. I know we will both sleep easier if she's near."

It took some maneuvering on both their parts, but they finally had Emma upstairs in their bed, snuggled between them. Maya playing in her head the million questions she had for her wife. Before she got to ask them though, Emma rolled over, flung an arm across Sarah, and snuggled in.

Sarah beamed, fingers gliding smoothly through her daughter's blonde waves as she looked over at her wife. "You are great with her, you know." She hummed a little as Emma stirred, waiting for her to settle again. "I know we are going to have our work cut out for us protecting her, but I would do anything to keep her home with us."

"Me too, darling. Me too." Maya leans over and gives her wife a kiss before placing a gentle kiss against the fan of hair covering Emma's temple. Her family was complete and be damned if anything or anyone got in the way of that again.


	5. Chapter 5

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, shining brightly across all three blondes. The absence of blaring horns and busting city created a sense of peace within the youngest. Emma stretched fully, contented purr erupting as she felt her muscles loosen..

"Mom?"

Sarah rubbed her eyes and turned towards the sleepy sound of her daughter's voice. "Yes, baby?" Eyes adjusting to the light, her heart bloomed at the sight of Emma cuddled into Maya.

Her mother's voice registering, Emma's eyes snapped open, realizing she was cuddled up to the wrong person. Despite Maya's smile, instinct took over, Emma yelping and flying off the side of the bed in her haste to extract herself. Time had taught her to expect the worst at best from showing weakness.

"Emma!" Both women moved to peer over the edge of the mattress at their frightened girl. Sarah was about to coo at her daughter, to encourage her back up, but Maya leaned down, extending her arms towards Emma. "Come now, you're safe with us."

Emma sat on the floor a few seconds, eyes darting warily between the two concerned women staring down at her. Her breathing was erratic, far too fast, due to past memories flooding in. She knew if she didn't snap out of it soon the women would explode a cloud of pheromones on her again. "I, I-"

"Shh. I will not hurt you." Maya knew Emma was less than a minute from launching herself into a panic attack. Whatever happened in her past that caused her to fear being close to someone… she let out a frustrated growl, wanting to rip everyone who hurt Emma to shreds. "Come back up here." Without waiting for a response, she pulled the girl back up onto the bed in between her and Sarah. "Safe."

Sarah didn't miss the hurt that flashed through her wife's eyes as Emma scooted away until she was plastered to her body. She wrapped her arms around Emma and pressed a kiss to her girl's temple. "What do you say to pancakes and then we can show you whatever you'd like to see, maybe have lunch at Granny's? The diner has the best burgers, and I remember how you feel about a good cheeseburger."

"Pancakes? Burgers? Perhaps there can be fruit and/or a salad in there too." Maya looked between the two, struggling not to feel left out of their bond.

"Such a mom already." Sarah winked as she teased her wife, enjoying the blush that crept across the older woman's cheeks. "Emma-"

Emma rolled her eyes, burrowing further into her mother. "I know, I know. Lettuce and tomato on my burger does not a salad make." With a heavy sigh she rolled over the woman and made her way to the door before turning back to look at her mom. "I'm going to go change."

Sarah's eyes tracked Emma until she could no longer hear her girl. Maya snorted at how anxious the woman looked. "Go." She smiled as blue eyes whipped to focus on her. "Go follow her if she'll let you. I'll get started on some pancakes."

"Thank you." Sarah launched across the distance to kiss her wife before darting out of bed and across the hall to follow her daughter. She heard Maya laughing as she knocked loudly on the bathroom door, Emma having made sure to click the lock.

"Mom! I can shower on my own."

"Emma, please."

Grumbling, Emma threw open the door, walking the woman backwards to sit on her bed. "I will let you know when I'm done."

Sarah sat impatiently for the first few minutes Emma had holed up in her bathroom. Her knee bouncing incessantly until her eyes zeroed in on the boxes Emma had brought inside yesterday. Glancing at the closed door, she decided it was okay to help Emma unpack.

Emma opened the door, toweling her face off, not surprised that her mother was halfway through organizing her clothes. "Mooom!"

"Don't be grumpy... I'm helping. Here," Sarah found a cute shirt and handed it to the girl before shuffling through the bottom wear stack. "Here's some jeans too. You can borrow one of my windbreakers since I didn't find one in your boxes yet."

Rolling her eyes, Emma took the clothes and retreated back to the bathroom. As much as it was nice to be taken care of again, it was slightly annoying too. She just hoped the pancakes were good.

Maya smiled at the pair as they made their way to the kitchen. Sliding a short stack over to Emma as the girl sat, she felt her mood lighten as the girl smiled at her before digging in. "Sarah said you liked blueberry. Did you want coffee or juice?"

"Orange juice please."

The trio dined on their meal, occasional small talk filling breaks in the comfortable silence. All three of them felt complete in that moment, that everything was temporarily right in the word, that this is how their family is supposed to be.

"So this…" Emma paused to swallow her food as she flicked her fork around. "This Storybrooke, I only saw a little of it."

Sarah nodded, clearing the plates once they were done. "A good majority is just forest, but we do have a main strip of stores, there's a school, library, emergency services, a pawn shop… like the city, just really condensed."

"Come, we'll walk. It's the best way to get familiarized." Maya held out a coat for Sarah to put on. It wasn't really cold, but the wind was pretty nippy today. Pleased to be rewarded with a kiss from her wife, she turned to Emma and offered up two different coat options, a teal windbreaker or a violet fleece.

Emma debated whether or not she wanted to just dash upstairs and grab her trusty red leather jacket, but with Sarah's raised brow and Maya's hopeful smile, she reached for the fleece, unsurprised to find it bathed in both Maya and Sarah's scent.

Sarah purposely put Emma between herself and her wife so that Emma could get more comfortable with Maya. She steered them towards the main area of town so she can show Emma the scenic route on the way back. Emma for her part was a little underwhelmed at the town. There was an absolutely creepy pawn shop, a closed library which disappointed her, a massive town hall, an auto body shop, and a cute little diner. Nothing too impressive stood out to her, nothing like the city would have.

"What is your favorite color?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh. "Really? We're going with such a hard hitting question? Okay." The laughter seemed to break the awkward walk. "It's aqua."

"Really?" Sarah turned to look at Emma, surprise evident on her face. "You used to just love purple, and you secretly loved pink as much as you denied it. I would have guessed red though because your jacket."

"Or yellow." Maya popped up.

"No, it's been aqua for quite a while. The jacket I didn't pick out myself. It was given to me by someone who saved my ass and set me on the right path when I aged out of the system."

Sarah stiffened, displeased to not know this about her girl. "Were you in some sort of trouble, Em?"

"Eh." Emma shrugged, clearly uncomfortable and not wanting to relive this moment in her past. "What about you, Mom? Favorite color still ice?"

"Stop, the snow is so pretty. That's something you don't get in the city, clean snow."

Emma rolled her eyes and snuggled in further to try and ease her mom's hurt at avoiding the inquisition. "Um, Maya?"

"I like green and purple, though black features in my collection quite a bit."

"Black isn't a color." Emma wandered a little ahead to investigate the odd flowers growing along the path. "We should paint these, Mom."

The blonde smiled at her daughter. They had often painted or drawn together to past the time, sharing quality conversation as well as hot cocoa. "We will. Have you read any good books lately?"

"Nah. With how busy I am at work and all, TV has been my thing."

Maya perked up at that. While Sarah loved her reading, she loved watching shows on television, specifically older shows. "Which ones are you into now?"

Blushing, Emma wiggled closer to Sarah. "I've been getting really into old shows: Bewitched, Golden Girls, I Dream of Jeannie, I Love Lucy, Murder She Wrote, Brady Bunch, The Wonder Years, Leave it to Beaver, Three's Company… I love them."

"OH!" Sarah rolled her eyes at her wife's excitement. Maya vibrated with glee. "I love those! Have you ever seen Facts of Life?"

"Mrs. G is life." Emma deadpans.

It seemed to ease Maya further and the two got into an in depth conversation that Sarah couldn't follow, but she was content to let her girls talk about whatever a Punky Brewster was. It was clear Emma was bored with the town, but there was actual conversation going on.

"I once met Lauren Bacall, back when I first moved to New York."

Maya's jaw dropped. "It's not nice to lie to me."

"I'm not!" Emma chuckled, moving a bit closer to Maya. "I was on my way to work at this shitty little hole in the wall. I saw her and blew my cool in approaching her since apparently that's not something New Yorkers do. She was nice, humored me, even gave me advice I always take to heart on my hardest days."

Unsure if the girl would be receptive to a comforting touch from her yet, Maya offered a sympathetic smile "Have you lived in a lot of places?"

Emma shrugged. "More than my fair share. I can't say I've ever stayed somewhere so… so remote and s-small before. It's strange to have no noise. There's no sirens at all hours, no people shouting, no horns blaring. It's just… quiet."

The trio talked about random things that popped up as they meandered. Everything from current music likes to favorite foods to more serious topics. Maya needed to know who had hurt Emma over the years and how. She needed to know in order to better protect her girl. No better place than the abandoned beach shore.

"Honey, why don't you head on up through the shortcut. I'll catch up soon."

Maya raised an eyebrow at her wife only to find her staring behind them. Twisting, she noticed the tiny bald electrician and his equally tiny friend next to him not far behind, trailing them down the shore. "Come on, hon."

"Bu-"

"Best let your mom handle it. She'd never forgive herself if she went all alpha and you got hurt." Maya wrapped her arm around the young blonde's shoulders and led the girl up the path through the woods that would deposit them back in on Main St. They'd been walking for a few hours now, and if nothing else, a snack was in order.

Sarah made sure her wife and daughter were far enough through the trees before spinning on the betas following their noses blindly, unaware the alpha had stayed behind to deal with them. "Stop!"

"Huh?" Leroy blinked, confused at where the strange girl who smelled so enticing had gone. "Wh-?"

"Leave my daughter alone!" She snarled, warning clear as day in her throat. Betas were generally harmless, but even they would not hesitate to take advantage of her baby if given the chance. Sarah had to stop them before it started. "I don't want you near her if there's even one iota of funny business going on in your heads about her."

Maya could hear her wife snarling and puffing a bit, not violent, but enough to make the idiots think twice. She stopped Emma and pointed out a well worn path. "Down there is my one of my favorite places in town."

"Oh?" Emma paused, trying to scan down the path, but it appeared just a random traveled path amongst the trees. "What does it lead to?"

"The stables, more specifically my horse."

Squealing, Emma made to race down the path only to be stopped by a hand gripping the back of her fleece. "But I love horses!"

The older blonde's heart nearly melted at the adorable pout Emma now sported, but she could hear Sarah approaching not far away. "I will take you another time." She raised an amused brow at the girl's rumbling stomach. "I believe lunch is in order."

Sarah was confused on why her daughter was overly excited yet pouting as she sat across from them in the booth at the diner. "Em, honey, do you not want lunch?"

"No,...well yes, but horses!" Emma shrugged as Sarah blinked at her in confusion. "I didn't get to see the horses."

"Um…"Sarah still didn't understand. The first and last time she'd offered to take Emma riding, her daughter had nearly flipped her lid in fear. What had gotten her girl so excited about the beasts since then? The pout was so endearing, Sarah was ready to just grab a sandwich to go and give her girl whatever she wanted.

Maya placed an arm around her wife. "I promised to take her to the stables another time. Go ahead and place your order dear. Ruby is almost here."

Emma watched the waitress eye her with unabashed lust. She wrinkled her nose at all the scents radiating off the alpha. Too many people had been with this girl, and it didn't look like the girl was older than twenty. "Mom?"

Sarah scooted over to Emma to put a body between her and Ruby while Maya glared the brunette down. "We'll have our usuals and a southwestern chicken salad with a cherry soda."

"Funny, I had you pegged as a burger and rings kinda gal." Ruby flashed a smile and reached for Emma's hand only to have it viciously slapped away by the older blonde across from the pair.

"Ms. Lucas, the food without the flirting."

Ruby rolled her eyes and disappeared to drop the order off with her gran. When she returned to drop it off, she turned to Maya. "Any word from the mayor lately?"

"No, I've been busy and she's got a town to run." Maya raised her brow, not keen on gossiping if it meant the slutty waitress stayed near her daughter. "Why?"

Shrugging, Ruby stepped back a bit to quell the overwhelming scent of protective mothers surrounding the booth. "Seems she called in sick for the rest of the week. Figured you'd know what's up with her since you're friends and all."

Maya frowned as she dismissed the brunette, turning to her family and their lunch. She'd have to drop in on Regina and make sure the woman was alright. The last time the mayor had taken off work was… well never as far as she could remember. Hopefully Regina was alright.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina relaxed fully, sinking down into the tub until the bubbles reached her chin. It had been two days since she'd discovered her new appendage, and the mayor had exhausted all her anger at the thing. Without magic, there was little use in bargaining or pleading to change herself back. While the situation wasn't what Regina had ever hoped or wanted, she was slowly accepting it, until she got a whiff of vanilla or cinnamon. Those two scents seemed to triggered its call to action. Thanks to the internet, Regina had been exploring ways to… bond, for lack of better term, with her new part; it's what lead her to the bath.

"I hope it's better than the last time.," Regina groaned, glancing down at the shaft in trepidation. Taking a deep breath, the mayor willed herself to stay relaxed as her hand wrapped itself around the flaccid member, the aid of the water making her hesitant movements flow smoothly over the olive flesh. It started stirring after a few minutes as the mayor's movements became surer, firmer.

"Cinnamon." Regina closed her eyes and pictured her new favorite scent enveloping her. That definitely got things moving. A few more deep breaths, relaxing fully to really get enjoyment out of the hand job, her mind began to wander, creating a picture of what the embodiment of Cinnamon looked like.

"Long blonde hair, green eyes…? I didn't want a _princess."_ Regina sneered, but the image of the woman, though the rest of her face blurry, was bringing immense pleasure.

Slim, athletic body, decent chest… and that perfect ass on top of long legs that she'd kill for, Regina groaned and worked her hand faster, bubbles fleeing from the rapid movement. Not that her own ass wasn't a masterpiece, but this 'Cinnamon' her mind had created was glorious. She could just make out a spray of very light freckles across pale skin… maybe that's the cinnamon in her mystery woman?

Regina had never been a very adventurous lover, mainly because her only experiences were forced, but there was no shortage of erotic direction her brain was sending this girl… no this _woman._ On her knees, gently brushing her hands away and having her warm, wet, inviting mouth take over… bobbing, licking, and sucking all while her hands were clenched tight in blonde locks…. Of having this woman under her, writhing and making sounds Regina had never heard of before as she slammed into her… of returning the favor and sliding down between the woman's legs to find a neatly groomed path to her honey trove… the first slide of her tongue through the scorching slit… Regina had never wanted to taste a woman before, but this fantasy, _this_ woman, for some reason, she felt compelled to want to taste every single inch of her, to drive her mad so 'Cinnamon' would be begging for her release. Oh how sweet that would sound!

Just as she was about to reach her peak, the doorbell rang. Embarrassment instantly killed any pleasure she had temporarily found. Hastily drying herself with a fluffy violet bath sheet in order to greet the incessant noise, she had barely tied the sash of the black silk robe before the lock on the front door flicked and the door swung open nearly crashing into her face.

"Regi- oh!" Maya paused her shouting to scrunch up her nose at the blast of alpha arousal that hit her. "Did I interrupt something?"

Regina rolled her eyes as her friend glanced up the staircase hoping to catch someone else here. "Don't be ridiculous. You know no one in this town is worthy."

The blonde laughed at her friend's blush, embarrassment quickly flooding out the arousal pheromones encasing the mayor. "So you decided to finally have a little fun?" The color rose on Regina's cheeks and Maya smirked. "Did we get naughty, Regina? Break out some oils? Maybe a toy or two?"

"Must you be so crude?"

"Must you be a prude?" Maya looped an arm around Regina's shoulders as she directed them towards the kitchen. "The ends of your hair are wet, you're in a robe… someone has been having a little fun in the shower."

"Oh my god. Kill me now." Regina stepped away from Maya and maneuvered around her kitchen starting the coffee and pulling out the mugs.

Maya couldn't help but laugh at her friend's discomfort. She waited until the coffee was almost ready before starting in again. "So, how did it go?"

Glaring, Regina set the cups of coffee down on the table. "You happened to interrupt so I do not quite know."

"Shit, I'm sorry, Regina." Maya placed a hand over her friend's. "Need any tips?" She quickly pulled back her hand, making a sour face. "Please tell me you washed your hand!"

It was time for Regina to smirk at the expense of her friend. "Well I would have, but someone was incessantly ringing my doorbell, and then barged in. There wasn't time."

"Lovely." Maya moved to the sink to wash her hands. "Ruby has been having a field day telling everyone you have called in sick to work. The town is abuzz with rumors."

"Tell them to get on with their jobs. If they bothered to do what they were supposed to, there would be no time to gossip about the first sick time I have taken in years."

"I nearly took that girl's head off."

Regina frowned as she swallowed her sip of coffee. "Why on earth? Taking personal time couldn't have warranted her getting that out of hand."

"Emma." Maya shook her head. "Miss Lucas decided to ignore Sarah and me in order to try and get into my daughter's pants. Got in Emma's face and scared her near right out the booth."

"She is certainly aggressive in her potential conquests." Regina frowned. Wasn't Emma a child? Ruby clearly had zero shame. "How is it going with the girl?"

Maya beamed. "She's precious! The way she and Sarah bond and interact… still a bit scared of me, but we have been watching old shows every night while Sarah reads her books. We have a date to redecorate her room. Emma has even agreed to see if working at the store with me is something she would enjoy."

"I'm pleased it is going well for you." Regina hadn't seen her friend this happy since finding her mate in Sarah and getting to marry her. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous though that Mal was getting something she wanted so badly and couldn't get. "Tell me about her."

"Blonde hair, about so high," Maya gestured in the air with a rough estimate of how tall Emma was, "gorgeous eyes that have all these shades of blue and green and gold. She loves horses… grooming them, still too skittish to ride one. She loves old shows and working out." Maya's tone changed from adoration to a hint of annoyance. "She has this idea that she can save the world and solve every problem. Came to us all bruised and battered. I just wish I could wrap her up and keep her safe in our home forever. She's been hurt so much by so many already."

"What does Sarah think of this?"

"Sarah plans to try." Maya just shook her head. "It's simply unrealistic to think you can cage such a free spirit. Emma walked in on us fighting, poor thing. We're going to have to figure out a way to keep her safe _and_ be able to do our jobs still."

Regina laughed. The struggles of a parent. "Has she expressed any interest in what she would like to do in Storybrooke?"

"I have to take her to see Celeste, and she wants to, and I quote, 'eat her weight in ice cream' so Sarah gets that luxury. Otherwise I think she's just looking to be with her mother again, have some sense of safety."

"Nothing is safer than the sheriff's office."

Maya's eyes narrowed. "Regina Mills! If you even hint at such a dangerous job to my girl I will destroy you, dear."

"Challenge accepted." Regina grinned before taking a sip of her coffee. Despite the slight amusement in dark blue eyes across from her, she knew her friend was absolutely not kidding

"Mmmhm, so… need any tips on pleasuring yourself?"

Flushing bright red again, Regina snatched the coffee mug from Maya and retreated to the sink. Mumbling under her breath, at her friend's chuckle she knew the blonde had heard her barely audible, "maybe".

 **SQSQSQ**

A few more personal days and Regina was confident enough to venture out. She had ordered some new clothing online to accommodate her new growth with Maya's help. Suffering through some mortification, she'd also discovered a few helpful tricks to bring herself pleasure in order to make sure the new arrival didn't stay long if it arose unexpectedly. Which for some reason, around Maya now it happened a lot. Regina knew she wasn't physically attracted to the blonde anymore, so she didn't quite understand it.

"Madame Mayor!"

Regina froze at the loud squeal and unexpected hug from the young waitress. "Miss Lucas!"

"Sorry, sorry." Ruby cleared her throat and stepped backwards. She hadn't even realized she felt so strongly about the mayor until the woman had gone missing for a few days. She hoped soon the brunette would recognize a friend in her. "Your presence has been missed. What can I get you today?"

"Usual please." Regina eyed the girl suspiciously before making her way over to her usual booth in the corner.

Ruby couldn't help but bounding over again after the order was in. She over exaggerated sniffing the new scent surrounding the mayor. "Ooh, you've finally found a mate. Who is it? Anyone I know? Well I suppose I know everyone, but you have to tell me who it is!"

Eyes wide, Regina glanced around the vacant diner to ensure no one overheard the waitress. "Miss Lucas, my personal life is none of your business." The hurt look the young woman was thoroughly confusing for the brunette since she had never felt any kind of positive emotion for the girl. "I, I don't really know. Since this...," Regina scrunched up her nose as gave a dismissive flick of her wrist, "thing showed up I apparently have a mate."

The young brunette squealed with excitement. "Ohh, I'm so happy for you! You deserve happiness, Regina."

"I… I… well…"

The waitress chuckled in amusement at the mayor's sudden speechlessness. "I've heard how suddenly growing a dick can cause a person to freak out. You really have no idea who your mate might be? After all these years with the same people? Ooohh! I bet it's the new girl in town. Gorgeous thing. I tried to-" She paused at Regina's glare. "Sorry, but she's hot _and_ unmated. She smells untouched. It'd be fun to break her in at the very least."

"Miss Lucas!" Regina knew her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment, eyes wide in abject horror. "Do you ever think about someone outside a sexual nature?"

Ruby shrugged. "If I thought I could battle her parents and win, I might try and mate her, but settling down isn't in my plans right now." She shrugged again. "So, you have a mate, what are you going to do about it?"

Black brows furrowed. " _Do_ about it?"

"Well yeah!" Ruby stared at her incredulously. "You have a _mate_ now! You realize what this means right?"

Regina stared blankly. "I lost the love of my life before you knew what love was, so no."

"Seriously?! You're getting a second chance or whatever. Make the most of it! Now that your body knows it has a mate." Ruby stared pointedly at the bulge faintly outlined in the black slacks. "You will go into rut now. You will _need_ your mate. Your mate will need you as well. This entire town would kill to bed an omega. Girl, you have to get up on in there before someone else takes her from you."

The thought of any one of these neanderthal peasants trying to take what was hers caused the alpha in Regina to snarl. Whether or not she actually wanted a mate, she would burn in the fires of the underworld before she allowed anyone here to touch her mate. But if she had a mate now, what did that mean of Daniel? "I'll be taking my food to go."

Unsure whether to laugh or feel disappointed, Ruby walked off to place the food in a to-go container before watching the mayor stalk out of the diner.

Regina needed to think. A few bites of food, and the container and her cold coffee was tossed into a receptacle. A long scenic walk around town and through the park without answers led Regina to the conclusion that she needed to talk to her oldest friend again. By the time she reached the organic grocery store, her feet were killing her. No one would dare say anything if she, just this one time, rode the handicap electric cart to the lift up to Maya's office.

"Madame Mayor?"

"I require the use of this cart temporarily…," Regina squinted at the tiny print on the name tag. "Nick. Take it up with your boss."

Regina hopped on the cart, followed the instructions on the wall to operate the thing, and took off, albeit rather uncoordinated, jerky movements constantly stopping and starting the cart and launching her all over.

Emma was holding the papers that Maya had wanted, reading over them as she headed for the stairs to the office. The incessant blaring of one of the mobile cart horns giving her a slight headache. Nose buried in regulations and order forms, she wasn't prepared for the cart to stop mere millimeters from slamming into her.

"Oh!"

Locking eyes with the occupant, Emma's shocked expression suddenly turned hopeful as she recognized the operator. The scent that enveloped her was spicy and somehow comforting despite Emma not recognizing it. She offered the brunette a lopsided grin. "Hi."


	7. Chapter 7

Regina gasped as the woman from her fantasies materialized in front of her, right down to the flowy dress, dark green jacket, and brown boots. The woman looked positively perfect. "Cinnamon?"

"Um… I think cinnamon is in…," Emma glanced up at the aisle signs, "Cinnamon is in aisle 9 with the other spices, oils, and cooking supplies."

"Regina."

Emma's brows scrunched in confusion as this woman continued to gape at her, the scent of something spicy like chili powder, mixed with chocolate, and a hint of something else overwhelming her. It wasn't the first time a compatible mate had appeared before her, but this was the first time her entire body heated up and instinct tried to override her brain to submit to this woman. She simply didn't submit... to _anyone._ "Regina?"

"Mills, Regina Mills." The mayor stuck out her hand, on confused autopilot. "I run this town."

"Uh…" Emma immediately took her hand back, wrenching it from the crushing grip the woman gave. Unsure what was going on with this woman, she massaged her bruised bones. "That's…? Did you need help finding the cinnamon? "

Regina had no idea what was happening or why she was behaving so strangely. It felt like a pod person had taken over. "Of course not, darling. You're right here." She gave her best seductive smile, moving to accent the ample cleavage on display.

"I only just got here. Maybe you're confused? My mother and her partner are blonde. I saw a few others- OH!" Emma squeaked as the striking brunette pressed her up against the wall, papers between them be damned.

"You feel even better than I imagined." Regina allowed her hands to roam from the woman's hips over around to her rear, cupping the firm flesh and pulling the woman forward to press their pelvises together. "Cinnamon."

Emma yelped and twisted, confused why she was letting this woman maul her. She was positive she was stronger than Regina, but she didn't _want_ to struggle and break free, which set her mind on overdrive. She focused on the last thing that caught her attention. Cinnamon? "I once thought about dying my hair red, or auburn. My roommate did a streak, and it was pretty. Maybe I'll consider a red again."

"No!" Regina threaded a long loose curl through her fingers, the other arm squeezing one ass cheek tight. "You have gorgeous hair." Leaning forward, she inhaled, getting notes of rose and mint. "I like your hair exactly," she tugged bringing the girl's face closer, "how," another tug, "it is."

Glancing around, Emma wasn't sure what to make of this woman. People seemed to be giving them a wide berth and curious stares. "Ma'am, if you could please release me."

"Mayor."

"A mayor is a chief executive official usually elected for a city, village, or town."

Shaking her head, Regina stepped back, some sense returning through the fog of pheromones. "No, dear. I am the mayor. Lovely jacket you're wearing."

"Thank you?" Emma was thoroughly confused at the switch in the woman from flirty power alpha to closed off. "I, um, is there something I can help you with, Mayor?"

Regina had no idea what to say to the apparition turned real woman she had just groped, in public no less. No matter how strong her instincts to dominate this girl and claim her, she wasn't about to give in to such base desires. She was more than the damn piece of meat between her legs, despite the throbbing trying to convince her otherwise. "No, thank you."

Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head, entirely confused and flustered with her encounter with… the mayor. "Have a good day, Mayor." She sidestepped the woman who finally backed away from her and walked over to Maya's assistant manager. "Please give these to Maya. I…," she turned to glance warily back over at the mayor who was still watching her, "I have to go."

Taking a deep breath, the mayor watched the young woman, who was very real and very much her new mate apparently, flee the store. As the doors whooshed closed the beautiful figure disappearing, she turned towards the stairs again.

"Regina, dear, I wasn't expecting you."

"Maya!" Regina was honestly relieved to see her friend. "I need to speak with you."

Maya just gave a shit eating grin and turned back towards her office. "Need more tips, dear?"

"No. Maybe. I do not know." Regina conceded that she was in way over her head here.

"Come along, dear. Let's talk." Maya waited until Regina was inside so she could shut the door. "You look troubled. Did you not reach satisfaction?"

Blushing, Regina looked away. "Finding a climax is no longer an issue."

"Okay, so is this mate related?"

"I never wanted a mate."

Sighing, Maya sunk into her chair. "Regina, as a true alpha, finding a mate is your chance at happiness. I know you're still pained about the loss of your first love. Having a mate doesn't mean your first love wasn't real. You're not dishonoring your first love by accepting a mate."

Regina couldn't reconcile how having a mate, which for a true alpha was the fairytale equivalent of a soulmate, true love, didn't dismiss everything she had with Daniel. "I never wanted a mate."

"I know, dear, but you now have one. If you don't decide what to do about it soon, your first rut will drive you insane.. Normally we are more than our status, but during ruts, none of that matters. Progressively you will become your sole base desire to mate. Before Sarah and I mated, I didn't think I'd survive my first rut. I found myself in front of Sarah's apartment more times a day than I can count. No matter what I did or how often I tried to take care of myself, nothing helped until Sarah realized what was happening and helped. I do the same for her when she… well, dear, just think about what you want. Anyone you're mated to would be stupid to deny you."

"I don't want someone to have to submit because I'm an alpha. I want someone to _want_ to be with me for who I am beyond that status."

Maya shrugged. "Plenty of time for that later, dear. If you think too hard about this your head will explode." She chuckled as Regina sputtered and coughed. "Bad wording, but true. Why not come over tonight for dinner? Take your mind off everything for a bit. Good food, and you can meet Emma."

"Should I bring anything? Wine or something to win your skittish child over?"

"I've learned you cannot buy Emma's affection. It will come in time, so just bring yourself and _re-lax!_ No 'Madame Mayor' at dinner. Just Regina."

 **SQSQSQ**

Emma sighed as she pulled a brush through her unruly curls. Normally she wouldn't concern herself so much if a person was visiting _her_ home, but this was Maya's friend and she didn't feel at home here just yet. First impressions were crucial, and she wanted to show Maya that she was becoming important to her too.

The sound of the doorbell had her mother calling up the stairs for her as she heard muffled voices. "Coming." She finished smoothing out her royal blue peasant top over her white skinny jeans before racing downstairs.

"Don't run on the stairs."

"Mooom!" Emma groaned and huffed, playfully poking her mom in the ribs before accepting the hug and glass of wine. "Dessert tonight?"

Sarah just shook her head at her girl. "Don't think I wasn't told about the brownie ice cream sandwich you got out of Ruby for lunch. You know too many sweets gives you a horrific stomach ache."

Hearing the chuckling of Maya and the woman's friend, Emma blushed profusely. "Oh my god, MOM!"

"Hush, dear." Sarah turned Emma towards the table her girl had set earlier. "Go dish out the salad while we get the rest of the food on the table."

Emma rolled her eyes as she made her way to the table. The dark haired guest smelling all too familiar and far too enticing. The smell permeated her brain, causing specific synapses in her brain to trigger. She barely got ahold of herself before her body released a rush of pheromones, ones that she typically only released when she was going into heat. Her gaze glanced up and her eyes instantly collided with a familiar pair of brown eyes, mirroring the shock Emma knew was in her own. "Um, uh, wha…?" Emma sputtered out, unsure as to what to say to the woman that had her hands on her ass only a few hours earlier.

"Emma, Emma!" Sarah's voice broke through the haze clouding her mind.

"Huh?" The younger blonde turned towards her mother.

"Do you want dressing for your salad?"

Emma nodded and asked for the bottle of French sitting near Regina's seat, noting the orange liquid poured over the brunette's salad. She glanced over at her mother, a smirk on her face, "See Mom, told you that someone else likes French dressing."

Regina watched the interaction with interest, taking in the ease at which the blonde and her platinum blonde mother teased each other so effortlessly. So Cinnamon was definitely real, and not a realistic fantasy. Horror soon filled her being as she realized what having Cinnamon in front of her, at dinner with her, and Maya and Sarah meant, and Maya was quick to confirm her horror.

"Regina," Maya started, gesturing between the brunette and younger blonde, "Meet my daughter, Emma. Emma, this is my dearest friend Regina. She's the Mayor of Storybrooke."

Emma bit down a squeak, Regina… the alpha mayor who ' _runs this town.'_ "Um, hey Regina…" Emma drawled out.

Regina could feel her eyes darken at the sound of her name being spoken by her mate for the first time. _Oh gods,_ Regina thought as reality slammed into her, _her mate!_ "So _you're_ Emma,," Regina hesitantly stuck her hand across the table, rising up slightly to dodge the food platters. "I've heard so much about you."

The blonde frowned at the slightly distant tone in Regina's voice. Part of her really wanted the flirty, dominate alpha back, which wholly confused her because she had never wanted that before. "Um, all good I hope," she murmured, looking at Maya and her mother, who both just smiled and nodded.

"Of course," Regina stuttered out a little before turning an annoyed gaze on her friend, "Though Maya did have me believing you were a child instead of the beautiful, young woman that you are." _Shit, shouldn't have said beautiful, get it together Regina._

Emma preened a little at being called beautiful by the older woman and cursed herself for it. If she showed no outward response, the alpha might leave her alone. _Get it together Emma, what is wrong with you?!_

Sarah smiled at her daughter, sensing the nervousness radiating off her girl. "Emma has decided to come stay with us for a while, get away from the big city." She mock pouted at her wife. "Maya has been hogging her most days."

"Learning the office work. Not very exciting," Emma explained, shivering a little as dark eyes roamed her form. The mayor was dressed to impressed in business formal, so she felt very under-dressed in her simple top and skinny jeans. _Get it together Emma!_ "What about you?" Emma asked, "Running a town must be far more fascinating."

Regina fought down a blush but still felt her neck heat up a little, "You'd be surprised how boring running a town is." _Get it together Regina, you shouldn't be a blushing alpha, she should be blushing!_ "I'm sure organizing the shelves, finding the spices, like cinnamon for example, is very rewarding." _Bingo,_ she grinned at the blush that flared to life across Emma's face. "What did you do in the city? Gorgeous woman like you must be a model," she continued. Her eyes caught sight of the frown on Maya's face and she internally winced. _Shouldn't have said that Regina, must not show interest in Emma. Sarah would probably kill you, but Maya would definitely kill you._

"No, nuh-uh." Emma shook her head vehemently. "I love clothes, but I'm not a big fan of the rather… creative clothing that models are required to wear. I don't care to show that much skin outside my own house or the beach."

"No more of that." Maya's lip curled in distaste at the mention of her daughter having to show _any_ skin, at all, anywhere….

Sarah smiled at her wife's overprotectiveness before she turned her attention to Emma and squeezed her hand. "Em worked as a bail bondsperson. She would put up part of the bail money for criminals and then track them down when they skipped bail." She beamed at her daughter, proud that she had survived doing that for so long, choosing to ignore the danger and the risk since that part of Emma's life was over now.

"How noble and practical at the same time," Regina took a bite of her salad, fully enjoying flustering the woman. She turned to Maya. "Didn't you say she had gotten hurt though?"

Emma shrugged. "Guy slipped his cuffs. It happens. He's back in prison now, his wife and kids finally getting assistance. It's not the worst injury I've ever had from a perp. This one time I-"

"Emma!" Sarah did not want to hear any horror stories over how her baby had been hurt. "Not at the dinner table, please."

The blonde flinched back a bit before nodding, "Anyway, most of the perps underestimated me because I'm an omega, so it's easy to get the drop on them. Occasionally the alphas might be physically stronger than me, but not often."

"Omegas…" Regina murmured, "Is that why you smell different?"

"Smell?" Emma's nose scrunched up, "I don't have a scent."

"Yes you do," the three alphas in the room said at the same time, causing the younger blonde to pout.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Sarah said, patting her daughter's hand, "But you do have a scent, you smell sweet and soft... like an omega."

Emma rolled her eyes at her mother's words while Regina's mind revolved around the word, _omega._ It had been years since she first researched about the classification system in this world, and she barely remembered anything about omegas other than they were extremely rare, hence why she had never run across one in town. She was going to have to do some research, maybe Emma being an omega was affecting her. Yes that was it, that had to be it. She took a deep breath, and Emma's unique scent flooded into her lungs, causing her mind to whirl and the muscles in her abdomen to clench. Regina felt a familiar stirring beneath her waist because of the sweet, cinnamon scent tinged with vanilla and rose. Her eyes widened and she willed the blood in her body to travel _anywhere_ but _down. Get it together Regina!_ _You cannot get a boner at your first dinner with the parents! Why am I thinking about this?_ Regina looked up again and her eyes caught Emma's. _Definitely more than her just being an omega._

Sarah frowned a bit about how odd Regina and Emma were acting and glanced across the table to see if her wife had noticed anything unusual but found that she was firmly entranced with her chicken parmesan. The platinum blonde kicked her mate's shin under the table, causing Maya to look up at her in annoyance and confusion. Sarah glanced at her impatiently and shot her eyes between Emma and Regina, trying to get the other woman to understand.

"What?"

All eyes turned to Sarah, causing the woman to glare at her wife. "Nothing, darling. How's the meal, Regina?"

The brunette smiled, grateful for the distraction from the dazzling woman across from her. "Delicious, thank you. What _did_ you put in this red sauce to make it so scrumptious?"

Emma felt herself blush at wishing the woman was talking about her like that. Sarah's brows furrowed at her daughter's reaction. "Basil, a bit of roasted garlic, and roasted yellow tomatoes." She turned to her daughter. "Em, you feeling alright?"

"I, uh, y-yeah." Emma glanced at Regina, blushing furiously again as she met darkened chocolate eyes before her gaze darted back to her food.

Regina was thoroughly amused at how flustered she made the young blonde. At least she wasn't the only one blundering her way through this dinner. "Superb food can have strange effects."

Sarah wasn't buying it, but her wife was far too into her own plate to notice how awkward the rest of dinner was. Regina and Emma kept stealing glances at one another as they ate, but barely another word was uttered between the two if they weren't addressing Maya or herself.

"Mom, did you want me to do the dishes?" Emma hated feeling like her mom was upset at her. The unease was rolling off Sarah which made Emma fidget nervously, would have thrown herself in her mother's lap if Regina hadn't been there.

"No, sweetheart. I'll load it all in the dishwasher." Sarah made a show of feeling Emma's forehead before pressing a gentle, reassuring kiss to the skin. "You feel a bit warm. Go on upstairs and lay down. I"ll check on you in a bit."

Knowing there was no way out of this, Emma offered a small smile that looked more like a grimace to Regina as she excused herself and headed upstairs.

Maya popped back to attention at the mention of Emma being sick. She stood up and helped her wife gather the dishes. "Is Em alright?"

Sarah just sighed as she felt her wife's fingers skate across her hand as the older woman gathered the platters from her. _Loveable clueless idiot._ "She just needs to go lay down. Her eyes tend to be bigger than her stomach no matter how many times she tries to put away a table's worth of food."

"Do you need any help?"

The pair didn't separate from each other as they rinsed the dishes off, but they did turn to glance at the mayor. Maya offered her friend a genuine smile, happy Regina seemed to connect so well to her child, even if it also crept jealousy up at her own struggle to bond with her child. "We've got it. You're the guest, dear. Did you want some more wine?"

"No thank you." Regina stood up and smoothed out her clothes. "I do have to drive home."

Maya pulled Sarah in close, giving her a kiss as her hands roamed around her wife's hips before stepping away and walking her friend to the door. "Another time, when Emma is feeling better, we should have dinner again. Maybe plan on dessert next time."

Regina nodded as she stepped over the threshold. Oh she'd love dessert alright. Glancing up the stairs where she knew Emma was hiding out, she just smirked before masking it with a look of concern. "Of course. Wish Emma well for me."

 **SQSQSQSQ**

Adam Gold sneered as he watched the pretty, young newcomer chase down her companions. How such a pretty filly got caught up with the likes of the two mated women he didn't know. All he could assume was that it was an inherited thing from the women the newcomer was living with. If he was mayor, he wouldn't have 'their kind' in his town. The tall redhead smiled and looped her arm around the brunette as the blonde finished her purchase and caught up to them.

Upon smelling the sinister pheromones, green eyes glanced around warily. The source seemed to be hidden just inside the pawn shop door, not visible in the shadows. Growing uncomfortable, Emma raced over to Lacey and Lena. Her mom had introduced them, and she'd gotten along quite well with Lacey, didn't feel threatened by her in the slightest. "What exactly is over there? Feels creepy."

Gold sunk further back into the shadows of his store as he stared down the women across the street. His curiosity couldn't be sated if this woman thought him villainous.

"Stay away from the imp, darling." Lena pulled her mate closer as she tried to peer into the small gift bag Emma had gotten from the thrift shop.

Lacey nodded as she wriggled further into her mate. "The man is creepy, forever staring, speaking in riddles… not very kind to mates of the same gender."

Emma bristled. Despite feeling seriously disturbed and unsettled by this mystery man, if he so much as looked at her mothers wrong, she knew he'd be gravely injured at the very least.

Lena noticed the woman glaring at the pawn shop. With her free arm, she wrapped a hand securely around the blonde's elbow. "Come along, Emma."

Emma. The man's eyes suddenly blazed gold, memories flooding back to him of another life, of a screaming babe sent through a tree, a curse cast to find his son. "Emma."

He wasn't Adam Gold, creepy town resident. He was the Dark One, feared by all. Snarling, he watched his… his woman walk down the street cozied up to the Wicked Witch from Oz, the vile green thing's hands all over his Belle. Oh he would get her back! Two women being together… Rumple scoffed. "Absurd! Belle is mine! I shall be getting her back!"

A group of young children stopped in front of the pawn shop at the man's shouting. Rumple waved his cane at them, knocking one of them a solid whack on the back of his knees. Quickly they scattered, allowing his attention to return to the three women disappearing into a…. snarling at the idea of his Belle shopping for lingerie with that witch, he snapped his cane against the corner of his building.

"Damn vile women! You will be mine again, Belle!" Rumple threw open the door to the pawn shop and limped inside. He had no idea how to take back Belle. In this world he was a bloody beta. A beta! He had never been so furious. People ignored and overlooked him. They would all remember, though, that he was the Dark One, revered and feared as old as time. They would all reconcile their misgivings about him soon as this bloody curse broke. In order to do that, he needed the savior. Despite his disgust at his chosen one's company, he would be using the woman to break the curse.

"She can't be twenty eight yet. " Hobbling to the back of the store, Rumple dug through his private book collection. Growling upon his discovery, he threw the book across the room and watching it crash and crumple against a wall. The savior was only twenty three. How was he going to break his curse five years early?!

"No matter, I shall find a way around this. The savior will break my curse. The town will remember who they are, and Belle will be mine again!" Once this blasted curse was broken, Rumple would have Belle again. The town would stop their twisted, sick ways. Most importantly, he would get his son back. Reverently stroking his necklace, the only remainder of his son, he stared wistfully out the window. "Papa's coming for you, Bae."


	8. Chapter 8

"So, where's your new errand girl?" Regina teased Maya as she perched on the edge of the blonde's desk nursing her to-go mug of coffee.

Maya's brows scrunched in confusion as she sipped her own cup. Her wife hadn't really been pleased by the behavior between Emma and Regina at dinner a few days ago. She'd been too busy appreciating her meal, listening to the conversation instead of watching them, but hadn't heard anything too odd. Emma had a tendency to ramble when she was nervous. It was endearing, truly. "Do you mean _my daughter_?" She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Regina's nod. "Emma will never be an errand girl, but she's currently with Sarah."

Regina felt her friend's irritation and frowned, leaning closer to Maya. "Is that why you are grumpy?"

"I'm not… grumpy." Maya snarled and flicked her wrist dismissively despite her friend's raised brow. Sighing, she slumped back in her seat. "I miss her. I miss them both, but bonding with Emma was nice. She has such life about her."

"Why not go visit your wife and child then?" Regina didn't understand her friend's pride. If she was lucky enough to have a child, Regina wasn't sure she'd ever want to leave them. Maya had a chance now to be with Emma, but instead she was grumping around her office.

Maya shook her head no, placing her cup on her desk. "Sarah is very territorial over Emma. I know my wife loves me, but she doesn't play around about Emma. Emma has tried working here, and now it's Sarah's turn. I'm not about to make Sarah pissed off walking in there and asking Emma to come back."

Regina tilted her head, understanding a bit more. Had Sarah been a beta, Maya would have some more leeway, more control, but to this day, Regina still didn't quite understand the dynamics of a relationship with two powerful alphas. She leaned over and placed her hand over Maya's. "Want me to check on her? See if she likes being in the freezer?"

"If you wish." Maya didn't want to say yes, as much as she'd like to, because that still felt like invading her wife's space and time with their daughter. She also knew Sarah wasn't pleased with Regina so she wasn't sure how well it would be received.

"I'll text you." Regina patted her friend's hand once more before tossing her to-cup and making her way out of Maya's office.

Making her way to Any Given Sundae, Regina felt her spirits perk up. Her new addition was certainly coming to life at the idea of seeing Emma again. Blushing, she choked on a hum as the door opened.

Emma's head popped up as the bell rang. Her mom had left her in charge for a bit while she ran to Maya's store for some ingredient or other that was needed to complete a new flavor Sarah insisted she ' _just had to try'._ Hearing the coughing, Emma recognized who had entered the shoppe. "Easy there. I would hate for our first kiss story to be about CPR."

Eyes blown wide, Regina choked on the fresh oxygen she'd just managed to bring into her lungs. "I beg your pardon?" First kiss? Emma was thinking about kissing her?

Unsure what exactly to feel, whether embarrassed for the blunder or confused that her mate kept playing these hot and cold games with her, Emma's face went beet red. "Um, well CPR isn't kissing, but you know it's mouth to mouth so… did you want ice cream?"

"No, thank you dear." Regina was thoroughly amused at Emma's stammering.

"You came to check on me for Maya."

Regina nodded despite Emma's statement being certain. "She misses you."

Emma wrapped her arms around her waist as her heart flooded. While she and Maya were becoming closer, it was still wondrous to her that Maya cared so much. Sarah was her mom, but Maya didn't have to care, and she'd certainly been in situations where a foster parent's significant other didn't care, so it was lovely. "I miss her too. Is she okay?"

Moving up to the counter, Regina glanced to her right and eyed the long stretch of ice cream tubs. "Why did you leave? She has been trying hard-"

"I know." Emma sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "I know she's trying. I get that you're her friend, but-"

"No." Regina interrupted Emma as she stood up straighter. "I am not trying to meddle into your family. You two seem to be working it out on your own." She saw the strength of the emotions die down, a wary calm most prominently displayed on the beautiful face before her now. Regina tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and offered a smile. "Why did you leave the store?"

Shrugging, Emma picked up a rag and began to clean the counter. "I didn't know what I was doing. It didn't feel right."

Regina knew all too well what Emma was referring to. Emma didn't want to just be handed a position in management just because Maya owned the store. She admired the independence in the young blonde. Most omegas would never dare be so bold. She had done extensive research on them. They were good breeders, raised better offspring or pups. A few worked, but most abandoned themselves once they got a mate in order to serve them. She could see Emma was not about to follow that path. "You didn't want to step on any toes." She squeezed Emma's hand, ignoring the damp cloth seeping into her skin. "What about here?"

"It's just mom, and now me." Emma could detect the increase in pheromones the alpha was releasing the closer she got, the longer they touched. "No toes to step on. Without mom there is no ice cream."

"But do you enjoy it?" Emma's face scrunched up in the most adorable way that had Regina tempted to launch across the small counter and kiss her. Brown eyes darkened despite being shaken at how strongly her feelings always were around this girl.

"I love my mom." Emma pulled her hand away, her back straightened, going into defense mode. Her love for Maya was new and developing, but no one, not even Maya's best friend, was going to say anything about her mom.

Regina watched the walls slam up as Emma backed away. She wished she could kick herself, Maya having told her how protective of each other Sarah and Emma were. "I simply meant is working with ice cream all you've ever dreamed of?" She didn't expect Emma to answer, but was pleased at the small shake of blonde hair. "Sarah has a finesse for the treat, but you my dear, you don't exactly seem frosty to me." She positively beamed when Emma hedged around the long counter to be on the same side. "In fact, you are quite… spicy."

Laughter rolled through Emma as she clutched at her stomach. "Spicy?" That is certainly something she'd never been called before.

Regina crept closer, amused at the blush that was slowly tinging the young woman's cheeks. "Cinnamon is a spice, darling."

Darling… that was something Emma had never been called before either. There had been countless names over the year, but darling wasn't one of them. Emma beamed, feeling a bit lightheaded as Regina's scent surrounded her. If she had believed in magic, Emma would certainly attribute her current behavior and feelings to magic. "Chili is too."

"Oh?" Regina pulled out a chair at one of the small tables, encouraging Emma to sit down before pushing it in and seating herself, smoothing her skirt under herself as she sat. "Is that what you think _I_ smell like?"

Emma nodded. "Chili, chocolate, and something… something else she couldn't quite figure out yet, like a really good Mexican hot chocolate."

The two became absorbed in each other, blissfully unaware of the observer sneering at them across the street hiding behind a newspaper. Regina wasn't supposed to want this… this _girl._ She was supposed to belong… with a snarl as the ladies clasped hands on the tabletop, the delicate paper crumpled into a ball.

"Tell me, Em- _ma,_ do you _like_ hot chocolate?" Regina's voice dropped lower, pleased when green eyes darkened.

Emma nodded, smiling at the mayor. "Hot chocolate is always good. It's good to curl up and watch television after a long day, or when it's rainy outside and you stay in your sweats all day, when it's sunny out it's good frozen if you've used flavored ice. It's the perfect thing if you're just having a day."

The way Emma became so animated over such a small joy delighted Regina. It also told her Emma enjoyed the particular scent her alpha emitted. True Alpha pheromones were supposedly specific to their mates, so it further confirmed for her that Emma was her Cinnamon. "I know you love both your parents, but if you wanted something on your own, something closer to what you did in the city, we have a sheriff position open. Graham rather prefers being deputy rather than a true leader."

"Leader?" Emma's pride and heart swelled that such a powerful alpha thought she was a leader. It proved all her hard work her entire life at being independent was worth it. She barely contained her squealing as she jumped up from the table, launching herself at Regina for a hug.

The door to the shoppe opened just then, Ingrid's eyes blowing wide at the sight of Emma bouncing in excitement as she hugged… _the mayor?_ "What is going on here?" She allowed the door to close behind her, depositing the bags on the counter once she reached it.

Emma raced over to her mom, joy radiating off of her as she latched on to her mother. "Mom, Regina gave me a job!"

"A job?" Ingrid nearly choked on the strength of the pheromones coming off her girl. "You have a job. Here."

Pouting, Emma leaned back to look up at her mom. "Please! I love you, and I know ice cream is your passion, but mine isn't." Brows furrowed. "I mean I like eating it, and I can still help you with testing it out." She shot Regina a glare as the mayor scoffed. "I will still see you every day. Please! Please, please please!"

Frowning, she looked to the mayor for answers as she cuddled Emma into the safety of her arms. "Job, Mills?"

"Yes," Regina stood up and took a minute to compose herself. While Emma was thrilled, she could see Sarah was not, and she knew Maya would be pissed. "I've informed Swan here that the sheri-"

"No!" Sarah pulled Emma away to stare into disappointed green eyes. "Emma, you are supposed to be trying to stay safe here. The bruises are still deeply visible from your last attack. Storybrooke may be small, but these people cause Graham a lot of trouble. I don't want you in danger. These people have never been around an omega before." Sarah glanced over at Regina, unsure if the mayor knew what risks she was exposing Emma to being an unclaimed omega. Nuzzling into her neck, she exuded a cloud of strong alpha pheromones as an overprotective measure.

Emma groaned even as she snuggled further into her mom. " _Mom!"_

Sarah knew she couldn't deny Emma if this was truly what she wished to do. With a resigned sigh, she nodded to her friend as Regina left the store. Regina could sense the discord she had just caused in the little family. While she knew Emma was more than qualified for Storybrooke sheriff, certainly more qualified than Graham, Sarah and Maya were going to kill her. She just hoped Emma was happy with the offer. That had been her goal, so long as Emma was happy it would be fine.

"Oh, Regina." The man bent down to pick up his crumpled newspaper before pulling out his tiny notebook from his back pocket. "Who is our newcomer? I saw you talking to her. The whole town is curious."

Regina frowned at the man, straightening her clothes from their collision. "Mr. Glass." She knew he didn't just 'happen' to be most places. He was a spy, one who did her bidding outside the realm of keeping tabs on Snow White. "I was interviewing our new sheriff. I suspect you'll be interacting a lot, so _be nice_."

Sidney heard the clear threat in her voice as well as her posture. He scrunched his nose at how displeasing her scent suddenly had become. There was a different… different spice scent to it and something much milder he couldn't place. The way Regina interacted with this new woman, how she had gotten such a prized position in Storybrooke despite not knowing anyone unnerved him. "Certainly, Madame Mayor."

 **SQSQSQ**

For days Sidney had followed this new woman around. Her mothers were rarely far from her, even when the young woman was meeting with Graham. He had seethed as the current sheriff had given her the badge and helped her fill out the paperwork. Sidney knew of the mayor's liaison with the sheriff. The flirting Graham was displaying… he quickly snapped incriminating photos to send to Regina later. He would make her see that he and he alone was perfect for her, _not_ the sheriff or the newcomer.

"Glass." Sidney answered his phone a few days later as he relaxed back in his desk chair. The paper had been sent to press. In the morning everyone would know exactly who this newcomer really was.

"Sidney, I haven't been sent the proof of tomorrow's paper." Regina frowned as she perused all the files on her desk. "Is there a problem?"

Sidney's eyes widened. He had conveniently overlooked the fact he was supposed to get Regina's approval on all articles in the paper before sending it to press. "No, no problem." He could just see her raising an eyebrow at his stammering. "I was just doing some last minute work on a piece to highlight the cannery."

Regina wasn't entirely convinced. She could sense something off with the former genie, but something was always off with Sidney. He was the definition of squirrly. "If the paper is not to my satisfaction, be aware you will be out of the job even if that means this town no longer has a newspaper."

"I understand, Madame Mayor." Sidney hung up the phone, only offering a small minute for regrets. Whatever the consequences of running the article, he knew he had to get Regina to see that her new interest was unworthy. All he had to do was wait now. One day the mayor would come running to him, realizing all he had done for her.

Sidney had situated himself in front of his livingroom window, telescope aimed at the mayoral mansion awaiting her reaction to the paper the next morning. Normally Regina was all for scandal, enjoyed a good tearing down of someone. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised at how hostile her reaction was though. "One day she will see. One day"

Regina had just poured herself a mug of piping hot coffee, still donning a short black silk robe when she went to fetch the paper. It intrigued her what Sidney had been so secretive over. Unfurling the paper, her mug slipped out of her hands and smashed to pieces on the cement step. Staring at her in a full front page story was an exposé on Emma Swan. "SIDNEY!"

The man winced at the rage in the mayor. He could see the vein in her forehead throbbing from here. Oh he was in deep shit. "Remember, Sidney, it's for her. One day she'll see that. The orphan swan is no good for her."

Fumin, Regina crushed the newspaper in her hand as she stormed back inside to find her phone. In the middle of leaving the slimeball journalist a scathing message about shutting down the paper, Maya's number incessantly rang through. _Shit._ Her friend was going to murder her. All she'd read was the title and knew Sidney had ripped Emma apart. "Hello?"

"Regina." Maya tried taking several deep breaths to calm herself, but never achieved her goal as the sounds of her child in distress filled the home. "Why?"

"I didn't. Sidney never ran this through me. I wouldn't." Regina dragged a hand through her hair before stretching up to fetch a new mug. She definitely needed coffee.

Long pale fingers tightened around the phone, the device cracking slightly in protest as the blonde didn't loosen her grip. "You approve every single article in every paper. How could you do this to Emma? To me?"

"Never!" Regina shook her head as she gave up pouring a new cup of joe in lieu of trying to skim the offending article.

" _Emma Swan, from throwaway orphan to small town sheriff, Storybrooke's newest resident._ Don't sit there and tell me Sidney went rogue and you didn't know."

Regina could just see her best friend pacing in barely controlled rage. "I called yesterday to ask about the paper. He said he was doing last minute editing on the cannery. I'd never… Maya, you know I'd ne-"

"You would if you didn't like someone. I know you, Regina, or I thought I did. I have _helped_ you destroy someone before." Hurt edging out the anger in Maya's voice now. "My Emma."

"Mr. Glass will be fired, I assure you. I... " what was the right word to describe to her best friend just how much she liked her daughter? "Adore Emma. She… she's a refreshing presence I didn't know I needed. Please, I would never… we made a promise all those years ago. I haven't forgotten. I wouldn't."

Sighing, Maya knew her friend was being sincere. She hadn't approved the vicious article that took up three pages of the paper. "Take care of him or Sarah and I will." Hanging up, she threw her phone against the wall, pleased as the device shattered before going into the living room to deal with her distraught wife and child.

"Shh, Emma." Sarah was trying to soothe Emma who was near hysterical over the damn article thrown on the floor in front of them. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

The young blonde's emotions were all over the place. Anger, frustration, hurt, anguish. Her past was dark, not something she ever wanted to relive. Not the abuse, not the problems in school, certainly not a reminder that her birth parents hadn't wanted her so badly that they had ditched her in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods miles from any hospital. If not for the kindness and luck of a hunter trolling through, Emma wouldn't be here today. She certainly didn't want an entire town of strangers to know every sordid detail of her past. Whoever wrote this was vile and beyond thorough. High ranking law enforcement thorough to access sealed juvenile records from her time in foster care.

Maya wrapped Emma up in her arms, stalling the pacing. "None of these people know you. It's going to be alright, dear."

"How?" The distressed whine broke both mothers' hearts.

Sarah launched in a hug on the other side, trapping Emma between them, nuzzling into her wife's neck. "You're new, so everyone is interested, but this… this trash, it will blow over in a few days."

"If it doesn't, we will make something happen." Maya linked her fingers through her wife's as Emma sunk into her chest, tears soaking through her shirt.

"Back to bed." Sarah looked at Maya who nodded. She scooped Em up while Maya guided them to the bedroom. Once Sarah was in bed, Emma crawled practically on top of her, latching on through fistfuls of her pajama top. She knew how traumatic Emma's past had been, how reluctant and defensive her girl gets about everything. Sidney had gone too far, way too far. Regina too if she approved this. But those looks! Surely the way the mayor looked at her girl… you don't do something like this to someone you have feelings for.

Maya listened as Sarah finger combed Emma's hair and sang her a lullaby. The tune unfamiliar, Maya released some soothing pheromones to calm Emma down. It felt like a small victory when Emma loosened hold one hand and reached back for her. With her free hand, Maya began rubbing Emma's back. She hated this entire situation. Hated Sidney for writing the damn piece. Hated Regina for not demanding to proof the paper. Hated every single person who had used and abused her daughter. Scooting closer, she curled up around Emma's side and hoped her girl felt safe between them.

Twenty minutes later Sarah stilled her fingers in honey blonde curls. Turning her head towards her wife, she raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Regina didn't proof the paper." Maya continued rubbing Emma's back. This was the second time in Emma's brief stay that their daughter had cried herself to sleep in their arms. She was starting to wonder if Storybrooke was the right place for them. "Sidney."

A growl ripped through Sarah. Of course… ooh that weasel. He'd better pray-

"Mom?"

"Shh, sweet girl. You're safe." Sarah resumed humming the lullaby, shocked that Emma had woken. Normally her sprawled out starfish slept heavily enough to miss a tornado tearing the house apart.

Deep, rhythmic breathing soon signified their girl was asleep again. Maya linked her fingers with her wife's, their joined hands resting on Emma's back. "What do we do?"

"I don't know. Kill Sidney"

Maya would love nothing more than to take up her wife's suggestion, but that would mean throwing Emma to the vultures, and they couldn't do that. "He will suffer. Regina said he was fired. I don't have the heart to tell her she can't take the sheriff job, but-"

"I know." Sarah carefully extracted herself a bit from underneath her daughter enough to turn on her side, locking eyes with her mate. "I don't want her to do this either. Saying no will not end well for any of us, and I just got her back. Why would he do this? Regina had to know. She knows all in this town."

"She swore she didn't, and it sounded genuine." Maya truly wanted to believe her friend had nothing to do with this. "Regina sounded truly upset at this as well."

Sarah didn't know if she believed her wife or not, but there would be time to question Regina later. With a sigh, she leaned over Emma to place a kiss on her wife's lips. "I wish I knew how to protect her. Used to be easy when she was younger. Now the world is much more vicious." When Maya snuck her arm underneath them both and pulled Emma and her into strong arms, her eyes closed.

"Come what may, we do this together. We can… we will protect her." Maya leaned over and kissed her wife before dropping a kiss to the back of Emma's sleeping head. "We'll figure it out."


	9. Chapter 9

Emma trudged back to the office, _finally_ , after five straight hours of being called out to answer invasive personal questions guised as petty complaints. Scrunching her nose at the deputy's muddy boots dirtying his desk, she made her way to her office and shut the door before sinking into her chair.

"Boss?" Graham offered the blonde a smirk before entering the office without knocking. "How's your first day?"

Sighing, Emma chose to ignore the man's lack of respect for personal space. "Is it always like this?"

Graham shrugged as he sunk down in the chair opposite his former desk. It felt odd and awesome simultaneously not to be in charge of the townspeople. "Usually petty complaints, disorderly conduct from the town drunk, and loose animals."

"Nooo." Emma groaned as she dropped her head in her hands. "The call about which neighbor had to mow the property line?"

"All summer long." Graham coughed as the smell of agitation flooded his senses. "Could be worse. With only us, we are lucky there's no big city crime."

"Eh, I'd rather just getting a file and going after a delinquent client. No ridiculous phone calls about things that don't even matter." Emma glared as the man made to kick up his boots on her desk.

Graham lowered his legs back down, offering the newcomer a flashy smile he was always told was charming and shifted closer to the blonde woman. "It must be fascinating, being a big city woman. Tell me about it."

Shifting away from the man uncomfortably, Emma shrugged and cleared her throat. "Lots of noise. Lots of people. Better food options. Granny's is okay, but It's definitely not thai food at 3am."

"Thai food?"

Emma's jaw dropped. Seriously? He'd never heard of… "Oh wow. That's something you have to eat to truly experience."

"Sounds positively delicious, maybe we should get it some time. We can head into the city and you can show me the sights." Graham said, winking at the woman.

"Eh, yeah, maybe," she answered, not wanting to cause a confrontation.

Graham grinned at the small victory and reached over to grab the paper bag he left on his desk. "Figured you might like a bear claw after today," he said, handing the bag to her, letting his fingers brush against hers as she took the bag.

"Thanks," Emma said uncomfortably. She wanted to wipe her hand on her pants but thought that would be rude. Graham was also eyeing her like she was a bear claw to be devoured and it put her off her pastry.

She set the bag to the side and started in on the paper work. Graham watched as Emma started filling out the stack of papers on her desk, various reports that needed to be turned into the mayor. A sly smirk crossed his face, and he stood up, moving around to stand behind Emma. Leaning over her right shoulder, he placed his left hand on her left shoulder and started to subtly release a cloud of pheromones, hoping to entice the omega, make her more receptive to his advances. "You don't have to fill all of these boxes out," he said, his breath hitting her ear as he spoke, "You only have to fill out what was relevant to the situation."

"Thank you, I got it. Been doing paperwork a long time," Emma replied, shifting slightly to get away from the man. Graham had his foot pressed against one of the wheels of the chair so she was only able to move slightly, leaving her trapped in her position.

"Lot of paperwork for catching bad guys?" Graham noticed Emma squirm. His plan was working.

The blonde 'accidentally' elbowed his stomach. "If I wanted to get paid, yes. Could you go fix the phone?"

"But you're so tense." The deputy began kneading knotted muscles on Emma's shoulders. "Let me help."

Both looked up as the bell to the station rang, signifying someone entering. It didn't deter Graham though, he stayed put while Emma squirmed and shifted, trying to remove his hands from her. The clack of heels unfamiliar to Emma, but Graham seemed to know who it was.

"Regina."

Dark eyes narrowed on the scene, nose scrunching as sandalwood and evergreen assaulted her senses. "Deputy, I believe the sheriff asked you to fix the phones."

Emma sighed in relief as soon as Graham left her office. "Thanks. I-"

"Mr. Humbert didn't have permission to touch you, did he? If he did, I… I-" Regina struggled to apologize for chasing the man away when she wasn't sorry at all.

"N-no. I thought he might have just been being nice offering the bear claw after the day I had and it turned into him practically on top of me before I knew what was happening, so thank you." Emma offered the woman a smile.

Regina released her own pheromones, intending to calm the uneasy blonde. "I will deal with him later." She took the seat Graham had vacated earlier. "How did you find your first day?"

"Honestly?" Emma wasn't sure the protocol for griping to the boss about her townspeople.

"A dark brow rose as she smirked at the way the blonde watched her legs cross. "Yes, dear. I know how these people can be, and I can only imagine their curiosity got the better of them, Mr. Humbert's actions not helping any."

Shrugging, Emma glanced past the mayor to Graham who was staring intently at them. When he winked at her and flashed that cheesy grin she returned her attention to Regina. "It's something to get used to I guess. In the city there's real crime, big issues. Here it's about whose responsibility it is to mow grass and wrangling cats out of trees, which I will be leaving to Graham. Little bloody bastards." She ran her hand over the bandages on her arms from where a kitten had clawed her up pretty good.

:"Graham needs something to occupy his time." Regina stood up and moved around to where Emma was, holding out her hand. "Let me see."

"What?" A low growl and a strong burst of pheromones had Emma extending her arm out once she'd removed her jacket.

Coughing to cover her distraction at Emma's near see-through light grey top, Regina began trailing her fingertips down the length of forearm while her other hand encircled the small wrist feeling the delicate pulse pick up and start fluttering wildly. "Did you wash these out? Claws tend to carry bacteria. Can't have the sheriff on sick leave so soon."

Emma felt like she was drowning in everything Regina Mills. Her scent, her touch, it was overwhelming… in a good way, not like the unwelcome presence Graham carried. He smelled sour, too earthy for her taste. The sense of security Regina brought was equally as potent as the arousal coursing through her from all the pheromones in the tiny office now.

"Sheriff Swan!"

"Huh?" The haze cleared a little bit hearing the snap in the alpha's voice.

"I asked you if you cleaned these properly." Regina stalled her touching, keeping a firm grip around the wrist though. When Emma shook her head, red tinging her cheeks, the mayor practically dragged her to the bathroom after grabbing a first aid kit. The excuses to keep touching Emma, to keep close to her were just falling into her lap.

"Ouch! Damn that stings." Emma tried jerking her arm away when the alcohol wipe was swept over the cuts, but the mayor held tight.

"Shh," Regina would have time to ponder on her patience and gentleness over the young woman's reaction to such a trivial thing, but right now she was too busy blowing cold air over the area to soothe the agitated omega. "Some polysporin and you'll be alright."

Emma frowned at the offending marks long after they were covered in bandages. "Tiny satans."

Regina dared to drag her fingertips against the tendons showing on the side of Emma's neck, relishing in the shudder of the other woman. "Do you think this is something you'll want to stick with? As much as we need a qualified sheriff, Graham can return to his post if you would like me to assist with something else."

"Nah," Emma leaned her head away, giving the mayor more room for her fingers to roam. Suddenly she wanted them _everywhere_. "This is what I know. It'll just take some time to get used to." She smiled over at Regina who was staring down the front of her shirt. "Besides, I like freaking mom out a bit."

The submissive gesture of baring her neck was not lost on Regina. Her not so little friend was stirring to attention rather quickly. She leaned in closer, catching the delectable scent of her omega…. _Her omega._ Graham was about to close in on her and take Emma. A rumbling in her chest startled Emma a bit, but Regina reached out and started touching the beautifully pale neck again. "Naughty girl." She smirked as Emma shivered. Definitely _her_ omega.

"Wouldn't you like to know." The playful flirting caught Emma by surprise. She'd only naturally flirted a tiny handful of times, and here she was full on offering herself to this alpha, her alpha. Her alpha who hadn't claimed her yet.

"I definitely would, darling." Regina reluctantly removed her fingers from the landscape she longed to drag her tongue and teeth over, mark as hers for everyone to see. The images of doing such a thing caused her new addition to become rather painful in the confines of her pants. "What do you say to a date? Friday evening, Gusteau's, eight o' clock?"

From patrolling today, Emma had learned that Gusteau's was the most high end restaurant in this little place, gourmet French cuisine. It was a bit too uppity for Emma's taste, but it meant she could dress up and show off for her alpha. Beaming, she nodded. "Pick me up? Billy's doing some work on my bug."

"Don't be late, darling." Elated, Regina pressed her luck by cupping one warm, flushed cheek on her adorable sheriff before turning to face her deputy who quickly pretended to be engaged in other things. Now to deal with the riffraff so he _never_ attempted to be anything but professional with Emma again. Making her way into the main area of the station, she stepped up to the man, all anger and agitation surrounding her and choking out her arousal. "Deputy Humbert, if you so much as look at Emma the wrong way again I will have you ruined, living life in the woods like a dog. Touch her again and I will break every bone in your hand. Sheriff Swan is not here for your plaything. Understood?"

Graham knew better than to go up against a pissed off alpha marking her territory. She'd already fired Sidney and made him cry, humiliated him in front of the entire town. The last thing he needed was to anger Regina. Emma was gorgeous and funny, and while Regina hadn't claimed her, _yet,_ clearly there was something going on. He nodded and held his hands up. "Yes, Madame Mayor."

"Glad we have an understanding." She smacked his cheek a few times, not hard enough to mark, but enough to sting. Hopefully Graham did understand. He was still alive because of her, and she wouldn't hesitate to end him should he do something untoward again.

While Emma was confused about the interaction, unable to hear what they were saying, she was still swimming in a cloud of her alpha's pheromones and the glee over having a date with her. Regina gave her an award winning smile before the woman left the office. Oh Emma was definitely on cloud nine right now!

 **SQSQSQ**

"So I told her I couldn't start something with her, even if she is my mate. Paul, he's my friend, and," Ai watched Ruby stare out the window, not paying any attention. "Then I told her I just fought a dragon that lives in the mines. RUBY!" She slapped her friend's arm to gain her attention.

"Ow! Ai, what the hell!" Ruby rubbed her arm, torn between watching the sheriff and glaring at her friend.

Ai twisted to look out the window. "What are you looking at?"

"The omega."

Rolling her eyes at the sigh of longing, Ai turned back to her friend. "Do you even know her name?"

"Eva? Erin? Evangeline?" Ruby shrugged. "E something. Does it matter?"

Ai grabbed the dishrag from her friend's hand and snapped it at her, connecting with her collarbone. "Ruby Lucas! A person is more than what's between their legs. Her name is Emma. Former bail bondsperson and current sheriff."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "She smells amazing."

"Stop thinking with your dick. Emma is a person too, very kind. She has a lot of patience. I think everyone in town called over something her first day just to size her up. Her ability to calm people is going to make her a great sheriff."

"I don't see why you did not just apply. You know you're perfect for that job." Ruby could only scoff at her friend. "Sense of honor and nobility and all that." She waved her wrist around in a dramatic dismissive flourish.

Ai was losing her own stoic patience. "You could do with some honor, bedding anything that will bend over for you. The lives you could ruin chasing every piece of tail-"

"Ha!" Ruby fist pumped. "You admitted they're just tail, nice pieces of ass to bang."

"Stop it! That's not what I meant. They're all people, Ruby. What happens when you bed the wrong person just because you could at the time? Things happen. Disease, enraged mates, your own conscience. When are you going to grow up?"

Ruby glared at her friend. "I have my whole life to grow up. You're the one chasing after _the idea_ of an omega because your mate chose someone else."

Ai stood up from her seat to be eye level with the brunette. "I _want_ to settle down. I _want_ a soulmate. I refuse to bed everything with genitalia just because I'm an alpha. I am an adult who wants a lasting relationship with one mate. One, Ruby. Omegas can be counted on to have an everlasting bond once mated. I know Emma isn't my soulmate, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in everything she represents."

"Ooh, marriage, commitment, pups. How 'grown up' of you… if you're old and boring" Ruby rolled her eyes and turned to storm into the kitchen.

"Wanting love doesn't have to be a bad thing, Ruby. You can look at someone for more than a notch in your bedpost." Sighing, Ai turned to go only to collide with Sarah. "Oh."

Sarah offered the tall woman a smile. "Thank you for thinking more of my daughter than some conquest. Emma is a bright, funny, kind hearted young woman. I'm glad you try and see that."

Ai smiled. "Emma is very nice."

Sarah turned to look out the window at her daughter, sighing wistfully as the young blonde trudged down the street, badge proudly displayed on her hip. "She's definitely my heart. I'd be happy to encourage you to go after her if you were interested since you value her beyond the bedroom, but I fear her heart is sold with another."

"I would settle for being her friend, if that's what Emma wants." Ai watched the tall blonde beam with motherly pride. One day she hoped to have such an opportunity as well, but feared staying in this tiny town her dreams of a mate and a family would never come to fruition.

"Apply for a deputy position." Sarah smiled encouragingly at the woman.

Frowning, Ai shook her head. "There's no openings."

Placing a few dollars on the counter for her coffee, Sarah just shrugged. "Give Emma a few days, there will be. Her mother and I will talk her into it, we would feel safer if someone were there to look out for her. Graham is not capable."

Unsure of what to say, Ai only nodded. She knew Emma would need protecting from the masses here. Graham was indeed a poor selection for protection, and one could only fathom the trouble an omega with a savior complex could get into here. "I shall consider it should the opportunity arise. Thank you."

Sarah left after patting the dark haired woman's hand. It would do both her and her wife good to know Emma had an ally, her own protector, so they might worry less. It was an impossibility truly of worrying less, but Ai could prove a terrific asset, especially if her hunch about her daughter's love interest was correct.

 **SQSQSQ**

"You're late." Emma teased as she slid into the sleek black Mercedes.

Regina scoffed as she appraised the blonde. A gorgeous sleeveless lavender scoop neck lace top gave her ample view of the perfect, creamy breasts she'd fantasized over more times than she could count. A flared black skirt ended just above the knees of the ever long legs Regina just knew would feel amazing wrapped around her waist while-

"Regina?"

The hesitant voice of the goddess before her had Regina snapping back to the present, meeting concerned green eyes. "I am _not_ late. We have enough time to make our reservation."

"If you say so, Madame Mayor." Emma watched the scenery as they started to make their way to the restaurant. "From my brief patrol I learned Gusteau's is at least twenty minutes from the station. My house is ten minutes. A half hour to make a reservation in fifteen minutes doesn't seem feasible."

"Good thing I have the sheriff in my car." Regina flashed a smile, watching the moonlight stream across the beautiful profile before drifting down to the strong bicep muscles she was grateful weren't covered in hideous red leather.

Emma tried to keep her breathing even and calm as Regina punched the pedal to the floor. "We're going to have to discuss your lead foot at some point." She was utterly relieved when they pulled into the parking space. " _LAND!"_

"Quite the drama queen, Miss Swan." Regina was partially amused because of Emma's antics, but the young woman had gone incredibly pale. She wondered if she'd caused some motion sickness and ruined their date before it started.

Emma got her first glance at the bright red skin hugging dress Regina had on. Her eyes bulged as those voluptuous hips swayed. A person's ass normally didn't hold much interest to Emma, but everything held full interest when it came to Regina. Licking her lips, her eyes dragged from the obnoxiously high heels, lingering on the defined ass, before trailing up a slim waist. She blushed profusely when she realized Regina had turned her head to see if she was following. Busted.

"Come along, dear. I promised dinner. Dessert _might_ come later." Regina winked at Emma as she strode through the doors. "Reservation for Mills."

The entire restaurant openly gaped as the mayor held out a chair for the sheriff to be seated before taking her own seat. Regina did her best to ignore them, but Emma looked clearly uncomfortable as she failed to do the same.

"Would you like a sample of our house favorite tonight? It's a superb bordeaux, bold red, 2000, and-"

Regina held up her hand, cutting off the waiter. "Thank you, but we will have the 2003 sweet white you had a few months ago as a month long special."

Emma's brows furrowed. It wasn't that she never drank, but judging by the fact the menu had no prices on it, she could only imagine the glass of wine cost more than she usually spent on a whole meal. "Are you sure?"

"It's a terrific wine… I thought since at dinner with your parents… if you want something else-"

Regina's stammering was adorable to Emma. She reached out and covered the mayor's tan hand with her own. "It sounds delicious, just expensive for a first date."

"Oh." Regina breathed a sigh of relief. "I have only had their appetizers and wine. A good wine is always worth the price."

Emma didn't understand the big deal about wine, or alcohol in general for that matter. Liquor tended to cause more problems than it helped. "I'm partial to a great rootbeer or craft soda. I once tried _the best_ ginger ale down in Florida. Seagram's _wishes_ it was as amazing as that version."

"I've heard Florida is wonderful. Have you been many places?" Regina placed an order of crackers, cheese, and caviar for an appetizer as she watched Emma light up over her travels.

"Florida was okay; hot, sunny. It wasn't my choice though." Emma shrugged as Regina raised an inquisitive brow at her statement. "I ran away from my last foster home at sixteen, met a man named Neal. He had my car at the time. It was his decision to go to Florida."

Regina frowned. Was Emma into men? "What prompted you to go with a strange man? Were you…?"

"NO!" Emma coughed as her sip of wine went down the wrong way. "No, Neal was just in the car. I was looking for a place to sleep, somewhere safer than the street, and the bug was unlocked. He was inside. Neal _tried_ to be fresh, but I broke his nose. We came to an understanding real fast, at least until he got put in prison for getting caught stealing several thousand dollars worth of designer watches."

"Nice company you keep." Regina shook her head, wondering if her mothers knew the mischief Emma got up to.

Emma just beamed, knowing the woman was a little jealous about Neal. "I am keeping _your_ company at present. Are you not nice?"

Regina just shook her head, sipping her own glass of wine. "Depends who you ask. Most would say no."

"I have a feeling most don't actually know you." Emma scrunched her nose up as the tiny dark fish eggs were placed in front of her.

The mayor watched in amusement as Emma took a teeny spoonful of eggs and placed it on top of the cheese on the cracker. The sheer horror the blonde tried to mask caused her to burst out laughing, turning more heads their way. "Darling, you don't have to eat it. Caviar is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, simply try the cheese and crackers."

Emma told Regina to order for her since she had no clue what the menu read. Glancing around, she was a little relieved to see most people asking their server to clarify items on the menu to them. They made idle chat until their meals arrived. Confused at the microscopic portion, she glanced up at Regina. "Is this supposed to be so….?"

"It's gourmet, dear." Regina watched as Emma dragged her fork through the miniscule portion of ratatouille. Her own portion of foie gras was ridiculously small. She didn't eat much, but today she hadn't eaten at all in anticipation of the date.

It took them both a total of five minutes to devour their teensy meals. Regina couldn't help but laugh at Emma's pitiful face. She had to admit defeat. "Would you like to go to Granny's?"

"Are you sure? This has to be a month's worth of checks." Emma bit her bottom lip causing Regina's eyes to darken.

"I will write it off as a town expense between mayor and sheriff." Regina motioned for the server to bring the check. "Granny's?"

Emma enthusiastically nodded, ready to go somewhere that offered food in human size quantities. "Please."

Regina rejected Emma's offer to drive her car, but she did take it a bit slower to Granny's. She glared when Ruby immediately bounced over when she spotted Emma, practically jumping on top of her. "Miss Lucas!" She moved Emma away from the overly excited waitress.

Ruby looked between the two, confused for a few minutes before her eyes widened. _Whoa!_ Regina's mate is the omega. Lucky bitch. Definitely not trying to go up against Regina for the blonde. "What can I get for you two?"

"Chicken apple salad. Emma?" Regina relished the young blonde sinking into her embrace as Ruby backed off. She just hoped the waitress wouldn't say anything stupid about mating right now.

Emma let Regina's scent waft around her, taking "Black bean burger in a lettuce wrap with shoestring onions and a sprite."

The mayor guided Emma to a booth away from the town drunk sitting up at the counter. "You eat better than I expected."

"Oh really?" Emma couldn't help but laugh. "What did you expect me to eat?"

"Garbage. Burgers, grease, pizza, things that will put you in an early grave." Regina blushed at how rude that sounded out loud.

"I love pizza and burgers. I love most foods, but I also know I need to eat properly in order to be productive and do my job. Occasionally junk food is worth it, but that usually means extra workouts, and I'm not for that." Emma smiled, unaware Ruby was making obscene sexual gestures behind her back.

Regina's eyes widened at the lude waitress. Sending the young girl a murderous glare, she directed her attention back to Emma only to watch the blonde frown and twist to see what held her interest. A smirk graced her face as Ruby yelped and dropped below the counter. Served the girl right. "I cannot say I am a fan of burgers."

Emma's brows furrowed, confused by what was transpiring. The waitress was acting so odd. "Everyone has a guilty pleasure junk food. What's yours? Mine's macaroni and cheese, the homemade kind, not the Kraft kind."

"Hmm, guilty pleasure food… if you tell anyone I'll deny it, but fries." Regina's mind wandered off to eating dinners together in the mansion before imagining sharing chocolate covered strawberries in the bathtub.

"Regina? Regina." Emma watched the mayor zone out, and while it was adorable to see such intrigue and happiness in dark brown eyes, whatever the mayor was envisioning, their food was now here and hot. "Regina, dinner."

By the time the pair finished their meal and took a walk to burn off the late night meal, it was well towards midnight. Regina cursed as the clock tower chimed the hour. Maya was going to murder her for keeping Emma out so late without clearing it with her or checking in. She didn't want the night to end, especially didn't want Emma to leave her arms. The blonde had pressed against her side as the mayor wrapped an arm around the young woman's shoulders. The short ride to Emma's home they held hands. Regina opened the car door and walked Emma up to the porch.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Regina." Emma smiled at the woman, a sudden rush of nerves had a blush creeping up her cheeks as she moved a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I did too, darling." Regina waited until Emma's sparkling green eyes looked up at her before she reached up to cup the young woman's face before bestowing a kiss to pale pink lips. She hadn't been expecting such softness or for such feeling. Her body screamed at her to take Emma, make her hers, but her rational mind made her step back. Their first date was not going to be when they slept together. There was more getting to know you to be done, more wooing, more reassurance that this siren was who Regina wanted to be tied to. "Thank you for tonight."

Emma's eyes stayed closed for a few minutes as she regained her breathing. The kiss was pretty chaste, but it moved her in ways a kiss had never done before. She hadn't wanted it to end, but she was grateful Regina had stepped back. Offering the mayor a smile, she turned and let herself inside the dark home. Praying the lights out meant her mom was asleep, she crept to the kitchen to put away her leftovers from Granny's.

"Emma." Sarah rubbed her eyes and reached behind her to flick the kitchen lights on. She had insisted on waiting up for Emma to arrive home, not liking how her daughter was shutting her out already after just getting back. Glancing at the clock, she frowned at the late hour. "Sit, have some tea. Let's talk."


	10. Chapter 10

Maya grumped as she was jostled awake by her wife knocking into the table as her chair scraped backwards. Why they had been waiting at the kitchen table instead of talking to Emma in the morning she didn't know. The older blonde hissed as the sudden light assaulted her sleep heavy eyes. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw Emma standing there like a deer in headlights looking far too fancy for late night paperwork that she'd told Sarah she'd be doing. "Where were you?"

"Um, Granny's?" Emma held up the takeaway box as she moved further into the room. This seemed like something out of a poorly written teenage television drama.

"How was paperwork?" Sarah frowned as she caught a whiff of Emma's scent. Arousal was something she never wanted to smell coming off her daughter, even if it was faint. The other scent just confirmed her theories. "Is it all finished?"

Emma blushed, caught in the small lie she had told. "About that…" She offered a sheepish smile to her mom.

"I figured. Sit down and talk to us." Sarah poured Emma some tea before following her girl to the table. "You lied to me."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm not a baby anymore. I can do as I please." Emma pouted before noticing Maya being grumpy. "What?"

Maya raised an eyebrow at the sudden snappiness of her child. "What possible reason could you have for lying to your mother?"

Ignoring her, Emma turned to her mom. "Please! Just let me have some freedom. I'm not thirteen anymore."

"I know, baby." Sarah moved to squeeze her baby's hand to stop it from flailing around. "I've lost a lot of time with you, and this town _can_ be dangerous. I'm just trying to protect you."

"Where were you tonight, Emma?" Maya knew Emma was Sarah's weak point. She wasn't about to let the girl get away with lying though.

Emma shrugged. "Granny's."

Dark blue eyes narrows. "All night? Dressed like that? Emma."

"What does it matter?" Emma frowned at her mother's wife. With both their arms crossed over their chests, they mirrored one another.

Sarah saw Maya's anger building and leaned towards her wife. "Emma doesn't have to lie to me." She turned to look at her daughter. "No matter what, no more lying."

The younger blonde nodded, but Maya wasn't having it. "You may be an adult, Emma, but you're not acting like one. Where were you? Such an outfit doesn't just get put on to go to Granny's."

"Out. I went out!" Emma stood up and smacked her palms down on the table. "What does it matter where I went? I'm back home safe."

"It matters because we care, and because this is our home. You may _think_ nothing can happen to you here, but you're wrong. It's courtesy to let us at least know when you're going out and when you'll be back." Maya was wholly unimpressed with the young woman's attitude. She knew Emma had better manners, more decency than this.

"Fine, I'll start looking for an apartment."

"No!" Sarah stood up and grabbed Emma's wrist before she could flee. "Maya, please. I have a pretty good idea what she was up to." She turned back to her daughter. "Baby, I just wish you'd talk to me. You don't have to keep secrets."

Green eyes widened. "How?"

"How do I know?" Emma nodded and Sarah offered her a smile. "Honey, I'm your mother. It's my job to know. Plus, you smell like her, your outfit, the food… did you enjoy your date?"

"Date? What date? With who?" Maya stood up, frowning in thorough confusion as she tried to process what was going on.

Emma blushed, looking at her mom. "It was… kinda weird at first. Gusteau's serves things in miniature dollhouse portions so we went to Granny's, but we talked… a lot. The wine was good and we walked along this path in the woods."

Sarah watched her daughter's face light up. As much as she wasn't sure Regina was for her girl, she wouldn't stand in the way of her happiness. Emma had been denied that far too much in her life already. She could make any sacrifice in the world to make her baby happy. "And? Anything else?"

"Mom!" Emma blushed harder at the teasing, willing herself not to swoon as the memory flooded in. "She kissed me. Nothing too far or anything. It was… gentle and soft and just… perfect."

"You kissed someone? Who? No!" Maya's brain finally woke up enough to realize Emma had been on a date, a date that she felt she had to lie about. That never boded well.

Glancing nervously at her mom for support, Emma shrugged before squeaking out, "Regina."

"Regina? _My_ Regina? My best friend Regina?" Maya started pacing, unable to wrap her head around that. "My best friend, Emma? Out of all the people in this town you chose _my best friend?_ "

Emma shrank back from the table. "You chose my mom and I haven't complained."

"Because we're both adults, and you weren't around to ask!" The older blonde dragged a hand through her hair. "You cannot date her, Emma. You don't even know her."

Rage was slowly boiling in the younger blonde. "I'm getting to know her. I don't know _you,_ and yet you want me to suddenly pretend you're my mother."

"Emma!"

"No, Mom!" Emma turned to face Sarah, ignoring the hurt reflecting in Maya's eyes. "You cannot control who I date or who I fall for. I like Regina, and hopefully she likes me too. I'm sorry she's your friend, but I can't help my feelings. I'm not going let someone who has been in my life for five minutes dictate anything."

Sarah sighed as Emma stomped up the stairs before slamming the door. This was exactly what she didn't want. If she couldn't console her daughter, she could at least help her wife. "Maya-"

"You sided with her." She held up a hand as Sarah was about to speak. "You let Emma get away with that behavior, knew she was seeing my _best friend_ and didn't tell me. I understand that she's our child, but your loyalty is to me first, and you just-"

Sarah pulled her wife into her arms. "Shh, sweetheart." She cupped her wife's cheek, swiping her thumb back and forth in a soothing gesture. "I didn't know for sure until just now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you my suspicions."

"Is this why you were upset over dinner?" Maya leaned back to look at her wife, understanding a bit more her reactions the past week towards Regina.

Sarah nodded, dropping her forehead onto her wife's shoulder. "I won't stand in the way of Emma's happiness. She deserves to be happy, but I know Regina. I just know she's going to break Em's heart."

"I gave her tips on sex."

"You did _what?!"_ Sarah reared back to study her wife's face.

Maya shifted uneasily. "I didn't know _Emma_ was her mate. Regina was… you know, helping herself, and it wasn't going well so I offered tips to help. I'd _never_ have done that if I'd known she was after Emma. She's too hung up on Daniel."

Sarah nodded. "I know, but telling Emma 'no' is going to result in a tantrum and her doing it out of spite. She's hard headed and stubborn. Her feelings for Regina are very real. I'm not happy she's fallen for Regina, but she is an adult, and it's her heart on the line. As much as I hate it, all we can do is be supportive of Emma, willing to listen and be there for her."

"Like hell! I'll talk to Regina." Maya was pissed off again. There were plenty of things to do. Sitting idly by while their daughter acted out and her best friend tried to get in the girl's pants was not one of them.

Sarah placed a hand on her wife's sternum. " _I_ will talk to her. _You_ need to go talk to Emma. I read that omegas get cranky if their heats are coming soon, but wow!"

"Heat?" Maya started sputtering. "No, she can't!"

"When an omega finds their mate, it can trigger an early heat. Sudden, uncharacteristic mood swings are one of the first indicators, so be prepared." Sarah watched her wife sink back into her chair to try and process that information. She knew no matter how much research she had done in order to prepare herself for life with an omega child, nothing was about to compare to experiencing the real thing. This first heat was going to test all their limits.

 **SQSQSQ**

Sarah had given Emma a day to cool off, a day for Regina to come to her and Maya, but since the latter hadn't happened yet, she was going to confront the fellow alpha herself.

"Ma'am? Ma'am… ma'am, you can't go in there!"

April's shrill voice had Regina popping her head up from the paperwork she was working on in time to see her office door fly open. She was rather shocked that Sarah was storming in, and smelling very angry too. "Mrs. Fischer?"

"I'm sorry, Madame Mayor. She just-" April motioned to the aggressive, upset alpha that the young beta clearly didn't know how to deal with.

Regina waved her secretary off, deciding she needed to look for a replacement with a backbone if this was going to be a common occurrence. "Go back to your desk. I can handle this."

Sarah glared at the mayor, back rigid waiting until the door shut behind her before stalking forward. "Can you handle this, Madame Mayor? From where I've been watching, you're a piss poor excuse for handling it."

"You will not coming into my office and start insulting me." Regina stood up from behind her desk, shoulders squaring as her temper flared.

"I will do whatever I damn well please where my family is concerned." Sarah was not backing down. Stalking forward, she kept a murderous gaze on her target. "My daughter is not a toy. She's not an experiment to get your kicks or your new dick on." Icy blue eyes traveled down the mayor's form to the concealed bulge before meeting shocked brown eyes again. "I know _exactly_ what you've been up to."

The brunette felt her fight draining a bit, but her alpha refused to back down. "Emma and I went on a date. That is hardly a crime."

A platinum brow raised as Sarah's arms crossed just under her chest. "I'm more than aware what happened on your date. It was just barely innocent enough." She stepped forward until her hips met the desk, the distance between the two significantly cut down. "Your dick, your head, and your heart are all leading you in different directions."

"My, my-" Regina's nose scrunched as her hand gestured to her crotch. "My genitals don't determine my actions."

"I'm going to stop you right there." Sarah held up a hand to silence the mayor. "You're new to this. I have almost a decade of experience on you here, so you cannot fool me. Once your body recognizes a mate and you are near them, all else goes out of your brain. Your instincts take over. Thankfully for Emma those instincts aren't overwhelmingly consuming yet or her heart would be shattered."

Regina's face scrunched in confusion. She didn't want to hurt Emma, wasn't planning on it. What was Sarah talking about? "I-"

"No, you wouldn't intentionally hurt the daughter of your best friend, but you will. Your heart and your head hold you prisoner to a love lost. The longer, the more you're around Emma, the stronger your base instincts will get to claim her. A true claim requires _both_ parties to make that bite, which means whatever you had with Daniel will be well and truly over. Maya and I know that despite the time that has passed, you are still not over him. Leading Emma on like this will only wind up crushing her."

"Daniel was… I was another person with him. It feels like another life ago. He has no bearing on my getting to know Emma." Regina's anger burst to life full force again. Daniel was a topic off limits. Maya knew that.

Sarah shook her head, frustration growing at the stubborn brunette before her. "Daniel is still with you. You haven't let him go, which means if you keep seeing Emma, if your bond keeps growing, you're going to reject her want to claim you. That will destroy her, destroy any omega who has fallen in love."

"Love?"

The blonde rolled her eyes at the awe in Regina's voice. "Either let Daniel go and give my child a real chance, or let her down now before she becomes too enamored. Emma doesn't deserve to be somebody's second choice."

Regina got lost in her own head. _Love?_ Emma loved her? She must if her mother was talking to her about this. Did she love Emma though? They barely knew each other. Mate or not, Regina wanted some less primal instincts to drive her heart, wanted to get to know Emma more before thinking about taking whatever they had further.

"Look, I know what my wife taught you. I swear to every deity in existence if you seduce her, if you even think of claiming her without being willing to be with her in return, I _will_ ruin you. There will be nothing left for my wife to destroy." Sarah shook her head at the weak alpha as she backed towards the door. "Get your shit together, because if you hurt my Emma, Maya and I… you can't even fathom the torture."

Sarah left to go get some work done at the store before her lunch date with Emma. Regina stood, frozen in her spot behind the desk. Daniel. Emma. True love versus new potential. Was she ready to let Daniel go and move on? Was Emma going to stick around if she knew the truth. Did she have to tell Emma about her past? So many questions swirled through her brain that she didn't even register Sarah had left… and without hurting her at that.

 **SQSQSQ**

Emma sidled up to the counter at Granny's and ordered an iced tea before dropping the book that had been left on her desk with a loud thud. The sheriff ignored the stares as she flipped the ancient leather-bound book open to a random page. "Fairy tales. Ugh, figures," she muttered to herself as she flipped through the pages. Nothing less could be expected though from a book embossed Once Upon a Time in gold on the cover. She had no clue who left this to her or why.

"Hello, Emma." Ruby smiled at the blonde as she set the glass down. She leered down at the woman before noticing the book. "Cool, who gave you that?"

"Dunno." Emma shrugged before wrapping her sweater tighter as she noticed how the waitress was appraising her.

Ruby eagerly hopped the counter and sat next to Emma to peruse the book of fairy tales., which caught the attention of the man on the opposite side of the counter. He sidled over, effectively boxing Emma in. "Fairytales, hadn't pegged you as the type."

Emma frowned, brows furrowing as she leaned backwards in her chair to get away from his stench. "You don't have me pegged at all."

"Aye, but I do, lass." The dark haired man reached his wooden hand up and pulled a few locks of blonde curls through the carved fingers.. "Omega, young, unmated, soon to be mine."

Both Ruby and Emma scoffed at the man. Emma rolled her eyes and pulled out her badge. "Sheriff Swan."

Glancing down at the page, he smirked. "Captain Hook, handsome enough fellow, nothing on me though." He tried moving in closer at the blonde's confusion. "Craig Morgan, but my friends call me Captain, much like Hook here." Craig held out his actual hand to shake, pouting when the sheriff didn't shake it. "That's no way for a public servant to behave, lass."

Emma became uncomfortable at the man's inflection on public servant, definitely suggesting something other than law enforcement duties. "Somehow I have a feeling your idea of law enforcement duties and actual law enforcement duties differ."

Craig offered a megawatt smile and leaned in towards the sheriff. "Let's get together and discuss those differences. I have a rather large vessel perfect for dinner, and… other things. Pirates always get the booty."

"Never going to happen." Emma wanted to fish out her handcuffs, but she knew this guy would make some lewd remark about playing with them. Instead she pulled out her bear mace. "I've had far more appealing offers presented in a respectful manner. Unless you want me to mace you, I suggest you get lost."

"You wouldn't." Craig watched in disbelief as the sheriff went to pick up the can. When a slim pale finger went to press the trigger button, he turned and fled leaving Emma to breathe a sigh of relief.

Ruby couldn't help but laugh. She knew 'The Captain' was a sleaze, and a pretty weak alpha, but watching him get shut out like that was hilarious. She turned to her dejected friend who was nursing a cold hot chocolate. "MM, did you see that? It was epic!"

The dark haired small woman looked up like a deer caught in the headlights from her pity party. "What? Oh, no. I'm sorry. What happened?"

"MM, have you met the new sheriff?" Ruby tried not to roll her eyes at her friend's pouting. "This is Emma. Emma, Mary Margaret Blanchard."

Emma could practically taste the sorrow and grief rolling off this woman. It wasn't pleasant, but she offered a small smile and stuck out her hand anyways. "Hi. I'm Emma."

The petite woman started crying, practically throwing herself on Emma. "My baby's name was Emma."

"Uh…?" The blonde looked to the waitress for help, but the brunette merely shrugged and fled into the kitchen. She turned her attention back to the sobbing woman. "You, uh, you had a baby named Emma?"

"Yes." Mary Margaret nodded through her tears. "She was the prettiest thing. I only got to hold her for a few hours before she was ripped away from me."

Emma didn't know what to do besides guide the woman into a chair and offer a napkin as a tissue. "Ripped away?"

"We had to. We had to give her away for her best chance." Mary wailed her explanation, no attempt to calm herself.

The sheriff looked around confused, but no one else in the diner seemed to be moved by this, so it must happen pretty often. She hadn't met a mother who was this torn up over having to give up her child though. It sounded as though this Mary gave her daughter away willingly. Sarah, she knew Sarah's grief because it was her own, having been literally ripped from her arms, but this woman chose to give her child away. Emma couldn't muster up the strength to feel sorry for her. "Here." She slid the book over to the woman. "Take this."

"A book?"

"Fairytales." Emma nodded at the tiny woman's confused expression. "A wise woman once told me that fairytales offer the greatest thing of all, and you seem like you could use it more than me."

Mary still didn't understand. "What's so great about fairytales?"

"Hope, they provide hope." Emma watched the woman clutch the book to her chest. Good deed for the day done. Retreating carefully incase the brunette decided to smear snot on her shoulder again, she quickly dodged back into the booth her mother had just sat down in. "Mom!"

Sarah smiled at her girl. "Hello, beautiful. How's your day?"

Emma sighed and sunk into her mom's side. "Weird. First some creep tried inviting me onto his… vessel? I don't even want to know what he was insinuating with that. Then a woman just freaked out because my name is Emma."

"Mary Margaret." Sarah sighed and hugged her baby close. "She was in a bad place a long time ago, dating a married man. She had his child and couldn't afford to keep the baby so she had to put it up for adoption. Everyone here knows her story."

The pair ordered their food and chatted about Sarah's day further, Sarah taking the time to get in how important it was that Emma rebuild her relationship with Maya. Midway through eating, the older blonde could tell something was wrong with her daughter. "Emma?"

"I'm getting itchy." Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat trying to alleviate the sensation without actually tearing into her skin. She pouted up at her mom as the attempt was unsuccessful. There were no food allergies that she knew of, no new lotions or anything that she'd tried. Maybe it had to do with that Mary lady launching herself at her. Yup, whatever laundry soap used on the pastel purple cardigan was the culprit. Nothing a good shower wouldn't fix.

Sarah eyed her daughter knowingly. Surely Emma had heats before…. Right? They'd never talked about it. Maybe she hadn't? Oh boy! "Emma, we should talk." 


	11. Chapter 11

Talk. That word had never meant good things for Emma. A million things ran through her mind at what could be wrong. The biggest worry blurted itself out. "If you need me to leave I will. I'm sorry."

"What?" Sarah grabbed her daughter's wrist and pulled her back into the booth, wrapping both arms around her. "No, Em. I don't want you to leave. Why would you think that?"

Emma hid her face behind a curtain of hair to avoid eye contact. "You and Maya are always fighting lately, because of me. I can understand if you want me to go."

Sarah pulled Emma in as close as the table for the booth allowed. "Sweetheart, no. Maya and I have been discussing things lately, but there's always growing pains in a family. You are my daughter. Nothing in the world is going to make me to send you away. I love you!" She leaned down and kissed the crown of her baby's head. "Emma, never think I would ever get rid of you."

The table was digging painfully into Emma's hip, but she scooted closer to her mom, wrapping her arms around her. Sarah always made her feel safe, loved, and most importantly, wanted. No matter how often she heard that, it was always nice to hear again. "Love you too."

"I know, baby." Sarah barely heard the muffled words, but she beamed nonetheless. "I know we don't really touch on this topic, but I have to ask you some serious questions now."

"Here?" Emma squeaked and moved out of her mother's arms, glancing around at the diner that was slowly filling for the lunch hour.

"Emma, you're an adult. You can handle a few personal questions. No one is paying us any mind." Sarah smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand as Emma chose to stay seated next to her instead of sliding in across from her. Once she had Emma's full attention, she took a deep breath. "Emma, have you had a heat before?"

Blushing, Emma's eyes widened as she quickly glanced around, checking her surroundings once more before nodding. "I get three a year, about four months apart. Why?"

"And you know Regina is your mate?" Sarah waited for another blushing nod before continuing. "No need to be embarrassed. How have your heats been until now?"

"Mom!" Emma flopped her head down on her arms, full on embarrassed due to the questions, no longer because they were in public. "They're… there? I don't know. Some people say they're real bad. Mine have been… usually okay. If I have a hot water bottle or heating pad I'm fine."

Sarah paused to place her order with Ruby, waiting until the waitress was gone again before studying an incredibly nervous Emma. "I ask because once you find a mate, and you have, that's going to change." She shook her head at Emma's confusion. "Your body knows you have a mate now, Emma. It's going to want to do what heats are designed for."

Scrunching her nose, it took a few minutes before the reality of what her mother was saying sunk in. "No! Absolutely no. Regina hasn't tried… we haven't. No. You're mistaken."

"Calm down, Emma." Sarah shook her head at her daughter's reaction. "Regardless of your… intimacy thus far, your body now recognizes you have a mate. It's going to trigger your heat to be more intense. As much as Maya and I are against this, the only way to sate your heat is to either try and suffer through it alone, or seek Regina out. This is centuries old biology hardwired into your brain. Once a mate is established, your body is going to need that mate to satisfy it."

"Ugh, no!" Emma groaned and shifted in her bench seat. "I don't want to mate with Regina yet. I'm still trying to get to know her. We both agreed we wanted to establish ourselves before we do anything, that we do…," Emma shook her wrist and scrunched her nose, "that. We both want it to matter, to mean something."

Sarah glared at Ruby when the waitress came over to deposit their orders and tried to chat up Emma. Her daughter was already agitated and blushing profusely. The last thing she needed was Ruby offering to 'help' calm her down. "Emma," she placed her hand over her daughter's as a gesture of comfort. "I cannot tell you how happy that makes me as your mother to know you want sex to mean something. I wish heats and ruts were that simple though. Finding your mate, accepting Regina as your mate, has triggered your heat to start." She wished she could smile at the shock on Emma's face, but this was not funny. "It's why you're starting to itch, the ants in your pants. Your dna doesn't care you want to wait. Maya and I can try and keep you occupied with movie marathons and board game days, see if we can help you through this heat, but there's no guarantee this will work."

"Hmmrph," Emma grunted, "if it doesn't then I'll just leave for a few days, come back when it's over, but I'm telling you my heats are never bad. It'll be fine."

Shaking her head, Sarah allowed Emma to steer the conversation elsewhere while they ate. The only thought going through her head was what famous last words "it'll be fine' were.

SQSQSQ

Emma had survived the first day of her heat well enough. There was discomfort and pain, sure, but nothing overwhelming or that a heating pad hadn't fixed. She'd still gone to work, had lunch with her moms, and got caught up on her paperwork. Graham did some patrolling, but overall it had been a relatively slow day. Her mothers ignored the sassy attitude Emma gave when she'd made it through the first day of work without issues.

Day two started with Emma doubled over in pain, tearing her from a peaceful slumber. Despite the tears streaming down her face, Emma insisted on going to work. The pain and burning by mid morning becoming too unbearable to stay cooped up in the office. Taking the rest of the day, Emma decided to try going for a run. Working out was her go-to for beating the discomfort of her heats.

"Sheriff Swan!" Regina frowned as the blonde sheriff ran past in teeny black shorts and a grey tank top, bright orange sports bra visible through the loose top. The blonde hadn't seemed to hear her though and kept running. Turning on her high heels, she stalked off after the blonde. "Miss Swan!"

Music blasted in Emma's ears as she ran the pain away. The pain of her heat faded to the strain of her muscles to keep going. If she didn't stop, Emma could keep outrunning the pain. It had worked for the past hour. The low timber of her name being shouted though gave her pause.

"Emma Swan!" Regina winced as her heel bit into the tender flesh of her feet in her haste to catch up to the woman. When she finally did, all thought left her brain. Sure she was already attracted to the blonde, but that was before. Before the goddess was barely dressed in front of her glistening in sweat, emitting the strongest cloud of overwhelming pheromones she'd ever smelt.

"Huh?" Spinning around, Emma nearly collided with Regina, not expecting someone to be right behind her. "Oh, Regina." A blush immediately crept up the woman's cheeks. "Hi."

Dark eyes narrowed. "This is why you took off, to go running?"

Emma shook her head no, scrambling to pause her music. "Uh, no, not exactly."

Regina watched Emma shuffle her feet nervously, avoiding eye contact. The woman looked and smelled so divine she just wanted to pounce on Emma here in the middle of town. Why did she smell so damn good?

"I just needed a few days. I have Graham patrolling and taking care of everything so far," Emma felt an overwhelming urge to throw herself at Regina. Squeaking as the mayor tried stepping closer, Emma turned her music back on and ran as fast as her feet could take her in the other direction.

Cursing her choice in shoes, Regina could only watch the woman sprint the other way. All her instincts were screaming at her to chase after Emma, to pin her down when she did, and claim her. No one had ever smelt so enticing before. But why had Emma run from her? They were supposed to be getting to know each other.

Emma hated leaving Regina. All she'd wanted to do was wrap her legs around the woman's waist and let the mayor have her way with her, whatever that might entail. Another minute and she would have given in to those desires. After her run, Emma thought she'd chased the pain away. It only lasted an hour though before she doubled over again, fiery burn exploding throughout her entire body.

"Emma, how can I help?" Maya had no idea how to help short of tracking Regina down, and she was absolutely not going to do that.

"Hurts." Gasping for a lungful of fresh air, Emma straightened and tried rubbing circles over her stomach. She was rapidly beginning to realize why people hated heats so much. The young blonde never thought she'd long for the times her body was just one giant, uncomfortable itch she couldn't sate until the week was up. This, this heat was a constant burning pain that none of her usual tricks seemed to help.

Maya cautiously stepped forward, holding out one of the new bath products she'd gotten in the store. "Would a bath help? These are new so I don't know much about these bath bombs, but supposedly they work for relaxation."

Emma knew it probably wouldn't relax her right now, but a bath did sound good. With a small smile more a grimace, she accepted the plastic wrapped purple and green salt ball. It smelled like lavender and eucalyptus. If she wasn't in heat, Emma could definitely use that on stressful days. Trudging upstairs for her bath, Emma faintly heard the door before the water drowned out the sounds.

"How's she?" Sarah made her way through the first floor until she was in the kitchen to greet her wife. She squealed when Maya swooped her up without warning and kissed her like her life depended on it.

Her wife Maya knew. Sarah was something familiar and reliable, something Maya knew how to handle. Wrapping her arms tightly around Sarah's waist, Maya pulled back just enough to rest her cheek against the paler one on her wife. "I don't know what to do. I hate not being able to help. We're supposed to be her parents, be able to protect and help."

Sarah just nodded, understanding fully why her wife was frustrated. Feeling weak and/or helpless was not something that settled well with either of them. Their only saving grace so far was that no one had tried anything thus far. "We're here for her. It might not be enough to ease her pain, but it's all we can do."

Try the pair did, with movies, offering lots of bath bombs, and junk food, various arts and crafts… anything to take Emma's mind off things. An old shirt of Regina's seemed to help for a while, Emma calming down some. The young blonde hadn't shared that it was the smell of the shirt rather than the shirt itself that was helping. Her mothers were napping and the pain was becoming unbearable again, the heat rising to unparallel levels. Not able to handle it anymore, Emma had to leave. Scribbling out a note, Emma snuck out of the house, unsure where she was going since her car was in the shop.

Regina sighed as she returned home from work, stack of files in both arms. Her member had decided to stand at full attention all day, despite her best efforts to 'fix' the situation. Since she'd run into Emma the other day, Regina's new appendage had been stirring often, and now it wouldn't quiet down. Once her work was safely in her office she went upstairs to change. Whimpering from within her closet instantly put her on alert, but something overrode her instinct to grab a weapon. Prying open the doors, she hadn't expected the sight before her. "Emma?"

"Oh." Emma had somehow found her way to Regina's home. Since no one answered the bell, Emma had the brilliant idea that the mayor's scent alone could pull her through the rest of her heat. She didn't know why she hadn't expected Regina to find her. Wrapped in a pile of the woman's clothes, Emma had finally felt enough reprieve to curl up tightly and try to rest. "Regina, I-"

The smell, having been trapped in the closet, had come barreling at her the moment Regina opened the door. Emma smelt positively mouthwatering. It didn't take long to recognize her omega was in heat, why she was in the closet under a pile of her clothes. "Come here, darling."

"R'gina, please! It hurts." Emma whimpered as the alpha before her emitted her own pheromones, scent much stronger than what she'd found in the clothes. Launching herself at the mayor, Emma wrapped her arms and legs around the woman, burying her face in the crook of Regina's neck.

"Shh, darling. It'll be okay." Regina wavered for a minute under the weight but steadied herself so she wouldn't drop Emma, surrounding them both in a strange mix of calming and arousal pheromones. She could see Emma was in pain, pain only she could help. Once she helped Emma, maybe Emma could help her. "I'll take care of you."

Emma melted into the embrace, trying to coax plump lips away from the tender, soft, nibbles and into claiming her. Clawing at the back of the silk shirt, Emma tried to wriggle closer, entice Regina into being more forceful. "I need, shirt in the way, kiss me."

"Just relax, Emma. I've got you." Regina knew Emma wasn't sure what she was asking for just yet, but the tender touches, gentle caresses didn't seem to be it.. Right now her instincts on how to sooth an omega in heat were warring with her desire to treat Emma with tenderness and care.

Emma was sweating, the sheen on her skin as unmistakable as the desire in her eyes. When Regina wasn't giving in and instantly taking her, she whined, trying to grind herself against the woman to try and get off.

Regina noticed just how much Emma was sweating, how hot her skin was. She had already needed a shower. Maybe it would calm her omega down too. "Emma, what do you say to a bath with me? I can wash the day's grime off and we can… continue this."

Eyes widening at that idea, Emma nodded rapidly as she struggled out of her clothes, forgetting all modesty until she was standing naked in the mayor's bedroom, clothes thrown all over. Realizing the mayor was staring openly, lust present on her face, fire filled Emma's stomach and she moved to approach the woman but a stern glare sent her scurrying into the bathroom.

"Hold it together a little longer, Regina." The brunette looked down at her penis at full attention from the absolutely gorgeous canvas that was Emma Swan. "You too, Regal, keep it together."

Brow raised in amusement, Emma stalked forward, wrapping her hand around the base. "Shower, Regal." Emma gently tugged as she walked back to the bathroom where the shower was already going, steam rising underneath the glass door. Once she was a few feet from the door, Emma released the throbbing member, giving extra wriggle and swan as she stepped through the door.

Growling, Regina followed quickly, gripping slim hips and pushing Emma into the opposite wall as her foot kicked the door closed. Little minx, she'd show her who was in charge! Regina plastered herself to the blonde's back, enjoying the hiss of contact with the cool tile beneath pale flesh. Whoa, Regina! Slow down. Her first time shouldn't be a quick smash and run like it was with Leopold. Show her you care.

Emma whined in disappointment as Regina backed off, unsure why the mayor stopped. Just as she was about to turn around and protest, a sudsy sponge landed on the middle of her back. "Regina." Getting clean was not on her agenda right now.

"Hush." Regina turned the water temp down as she continued to drag her bath sponge over the naked canvas in front of her.

"No!" Emma spun around, pulling the naked mayor flush against her. Sighing into the embrace, she brought her mouth down to the beautiful expanse of neck before her. "Need, need you, not soap. Skin, mine, please."

Regina's brows furrowed at the incoherent babble before she felt slim fingers wrap themselves around Regal again. Fuck! This omega was really testing her resolve. Shoving Emma backwards, she bent to bring the left breast into her mouth.

Emma arched her back at finally having contact again. One hand threaded in dark hair, she thrust her hips at Regina, bringing her legs up to wrap around the mayor's waist. The fact they weren't supported and could crash to the floor didn't even register. She just wanted more contact, more friction, to be filled. "Gina please!"

Shit! Reaching out one hand to the wall and the other to wrap around the pale waist trying to hump her. Emma was definitely going to be the death of her. She nearly slipped and dropped them both at a particularly rough grind of Emma's hips against Regal. "Emma, stop a minute!" She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the whine of protest, her omega so far gone Emma was going to get what she wanted regardless the cost. So much for their shower. "We're moving." Without allowing Emma a chance to protest, she snapped off the water, making sure to dry her feet before making her way to the bed.

"Please!" Emma yelped at being dropped unceremoniously on the bed, frowning when Regina didn't join her immediately. Ugh, her alpha was just staring instead of doing even with permission. Rolling over towards the nightstand, she yanked open the drawer.

"What on earth are you doing?" Regina didn't keep much in her nightstand, a pen and paper, a spare light bulb, spare pillowcase, and a can of mace should anyone be stupid enough to attempt a break in.

The sheriff groaned in frustration. How did this gorgeous, glorious woman not have any toys? Throwing stuff aside, she growled as the second drawer in the nightstand was equally as fruitless. "Where are your toys? If you won't then-" Emma yelped before a cheshire grin spread on her face as Regina was suddenly on top of her pinning her to the bed.

"Toys?" Regina's eyes narrowed at the blonde below her. "What would make you think I'd allow you to use toys on yourself in my bed?" Forget slow and caring. Her omega just threw a challenge for dominance she wasn't about to lose. Pinning one leg in place with her knee, the mayor brought one hand down to pull the other leg wide.

"Yesss!" Emma closed her eyes in bliss, finally going to get what she wanted, needed. "No! What?" Her gaze snapped down between her thighs when instead of being filled, Regina was simply dragging her fingers up and down the length of her slit. "No teasing. So mean!"

Regina couldn't help but laugh. Mean? Oh how little her omega truly knew about the word mean. There was no torture, no humiliation, no physical pain she planned to inflict on Emma like the previous bed-warmers she'd had in the Enchanted Forest. Holding eye contact, she brought her fingers up to her mouth, making a show of licking the length of her soaked finger before bringing them into her mouth to suck them clean.

Groaning, Emma tried to thrust her hips up, seeking any kind of friction only to be met with air. Whining, she reached out to clutch at Regina, being denied before the alpha above her leaned down and crashed their lips together, squirming as two fingers began circling her clit incessantly, unrelenting direct strokes that had constant noise spewing from her.

"Emma!" The brunette moaned out as her hips shifted, placing Regal's tip between drenched folds. A few adjustments and Regina was pushing inside, finding no resistance at all. Long legs flew up to wrap around her waist trying to propel her forward as Emma became a moaning mess beneath her. Pushing the rest of the way in, the path made easy by the copious slick, Regina let out her own groan once she was completely sheathed inside the tight passage. "Mine."

"Yours, so yours, all yours." Emma hadn't imagined being filled could feel so… full, so exquisite. Why hadn't she done this before? Opening her eyes, she trailed them down her flushed body to where she and Regina were joined, moaning in delight at the sight, of watching Regina slide out of her body, penis coated in wetness, her wetness, all for Regina, before slamming in again. "Regina!"

Regina couldn't help but beam in pride, her omega was truly hers now. The feeling of claiming a pussy, of having a woman writhing in pleasure underneath her, of driving Emma delirious with pleasure was nearly overwhelming enough to make her come, Regal painfully at full attention. Able to worship Emma now that the blonde was happy, she lowered her mouth back down to heaving breasts, intent on taking her sweet time with every expanse of skin she could.

"Holy fuck! In, in in!" Emma was surprised as she felt her alpha's knot begin to grow. The complete bliss from Regina fucking her dissipate. She needed the knot. Wriggling her hips, locking her legs tighter around the brunette, Emma did her best to keep the woman inside her. "Please!"

Understanding what Emma needed, having felt the base of Regal growing, Regina thrusted a few more times, allowing her knot to grow a bit more before rearing her hips back, slamming forward once more, locking herself in place inside of Emma. Both their climaxes instant, greedily clenching walls milking Regal for every drop she was happily shooting inside Emma.

"So yours!"

SQSQSQ

They had been holed up in Regina's mansion for days, the mayor's rut having come in. Various positions and innumerous hours, countless orgasms between them, Emma finally exhausted her heat, now she was helping Regina through the last of her rut. Currently in the blonde's favorite position, on her hands and knees being taken from behind, both were sweaty messes.

Regina enjoyed this position well enough, but she preferred to see Emma's face as she came, to watch the most beautiful expression, or devour the perfect breasts underneath her, to be able to kiss pale lips. No matter how rough or primal they got, she still liked to bring some intimacy to their activities. Feeling her knot awaken, knowing her rut was ending soon, she reluctantly pulled out of Emma and flipped the blonde onto her back, pounding back in almost immediately.

"Jesus, Regina!" Without the heat clouding her mind and making her sole focus being satisfied, the rougher aspects of their coupling causing twinges of pain. She could feel Regal's base swelling, hoped there was enough slick to accommodate it. The thrusts became more erratic, less timed, a lot rougher. Arching, she willed herself to open enough to… "AHHH!"

"Fuck! Mine!" The alpha shouted as her knot forced its way into Emma's unbelievably tight passage. It hadn't wanted to let her in at first, but Regina knew she could fit and made it so, needed to cum so bad. Euphoria clouding her mind as Emma wriggled underneath her, she surged forward, clamping down on a delicate collarbone eliciting a scream from the omega. "Mine!"

Oh! Regina just bit her, and it HURT! Maybe this meant Regina was ready to commit to her, had figured out her feelings. Perhaps she could…. Wriggling to try and free herself from the teeth still clamped onto her, Emma tried to rear up and return the bite only to be snarled at and shoved back to the mattress.

"No! Mine!" Regina released her omega to growl at her before sinking her teeth back into the fresh mark, trying to nuzzle in further, the coppery taste of blood flooding her mouth. She could hear Emma's distressed whimpers, but they were distant, far away, while her own pleasure forefront, Regal emptying all the member had into the blonde, lapping at the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Emma was hers, virginity, body, and soul now. Hers.

Emma lay under Regina wondering if the alpha knew or even cared that she hadn't come. It had been solely about Regina, which wouldn't have been such an issue, Emma knew that not every round of sex resulted in orgasms, but having her attempt to claim Regina rejected… all the vengeful, angry foster families and social worker's voices about being only good for one thing, laying under an alpha, came flooding back making her want to curl in on herself and cry. No, no crying in front of Regina. She waited until the knot went away, making the abundance of cum start flowing out of her. Showering after sex was a must, Emma had learned.

Regina was groggy, blissfully sated after this last round. It didn't mean Emma moving away from her, moving off the bed didn't register unpleasantly with her. "Where are you going?" Sitting up, she brought the sheet with her, though why after all they'd done naked the past few days she didn't know.

"Shower and then home." Emma's shoulders hunched in, trying to hide herself, make herself invisible as much as possible as she hunted for her clothes on the bedroom floor.

"Home? Why?" Regina leapt out of bed, grabbing Emma by both arms, trying to search green eyes unsuccessfully. Did Emma regret what they'd shared? "You can stay."

Anger flared through Emma,head finally snapping up to meet the questioning dark gaze. "No I can't! You made your thoughts abundantly clear. I'm a bedwarmer, not a mate, not yours!"

Frowning in confusion, Regina wouldn't let Emma break free of her hold. "What are you talking about? We've made love for days! We just had amazing sex." She couldn't fathom what happened in such a short few minutes to make Emma react like this.

"This!" Emma wrenched one arm free, swiping at the blood dripping down her chest, fury ablaze in her eyes, filling the room with enough angry pheromones for the alpha to release her fully. "You bit me, and then you rejected me. Good enough to warm the sheets, Emma, but never enough to warm someone's heart."

"I didn't, that's not why I stopped you!" Regina started to pace, yanking a hand through mussed, tangled dark locks, wincing as her fingers caught on a particularly twisted knot. "You're… and Daniel, but that's… we…"

Emma just sighed in annoyance and finished shoving her arms into her shirt, pulling it over her head before wriggling into her yoga pants, come be damned. They'd wash out. "Everything always comes back to Daniel, someone I never even met. I can never hope to compete with some goddamn ghost. Do you even love me?"

Regina stared into Emma's eyes for long moments, silence stretching between them. She knew why she'd pushed Emma away, and it had nothing to do with Daniel. He was just the convenient excuse to keep Emma at arm's length, trying to protect her heart from inevitable pain and rejection. Instead she'd just thrown herself on her own sword. A shake of her head and Emma scoffed.

"Figures. I hope your ghosts keep you warm at night." Emma slammed the bedroom door shut behind her, making her way down the winding staircase, slamming the front door for good measure. She wanted to break down and cry, but not on Regina's property. Where could she go though? Definitely couldn't go home smelling like sex, come still pouring out of her, staining her clothes. One last glance up at the window where she hoped Regina was watching behind the curtain, Emma stalked off for the station. It had a shower and a change of clothes where she could break down in peace.

"Goddammit!" Regina picked up the lamp and threw it with all her might across the room, watching the base shatter into a million pieces, much like her heart. Why couldn't she just admit she loved Emma, that she mattered? Instead of protecting herself and Emma, Regina'd just destroyed them both, like she'd done to everyone thus far who had ever loved her. Maybe she truly was her mother's daughter.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N *Trigger Warnings***

 **-assault**

 **-attempted sexual assault**

 **-attempted kidnapping**

 **-violence**

 **It's not too graphic, but there's warnings because it does occur. If you need to skip this chapter it's alright.**

Emma shifted nervously in front of the door, unsure this was a good idea or not. Her mother was going to be so furious, but now that she had Sarah back in her life, Emma couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather go to. The doorbell rang through her ears like gunshots, her anxiety creeping higher as she fidgeted with the hem on the bottom of her tee shirt.

"Emma?" Maya was thrown off at her daughter standing on the other side of the door. The young woman had been missing for days, phone off, car still in the shop. Throwing open the door, she winced as Emma jumped a mile in the air. "Emma."

Choking on a sob, Emma launched herself at Maya. "I'm so sorry."

Maya had no idea what to do as her daughter wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, face buried in her chest as she sobbed and repeated that she was sorry. Slowly she lowered her arms around the girl. Despite still being upset with her, she knew Emma needed her right now. "Shh, calm down. It's alright."

"No it's not! I'm sorry." Emma couldn't get ahold of herself for the life of her. She squeaked in surprise but couldn't stop crying as Maya scooped her up and carried her to the couch in the living room. Several sore spots ached and radiated pain in protest so she bit her bottom lip to keep quiet.

"Whatever happened, it will be okay." Maya held Emma, stroking her hair until she quieted down. Instead of getting to talk to her daughter though, Emma had fallen fast asleep in her arms, her own calming pheromones to blame. It took several minutes for her scent to clear before an unpleasant smell hit her nose… somehow Emma's sweet scent had changed, mixed with… her eyes darkened. Oh she was going to kill Regina! Gingerly, Maya moved the collar of Emma's band shirt away from her neck. She barely resisted the urge to rage and growl until Emma was safely curled up on the couch instead of her lap.

"Maya, what's going on? Where is she?" Sarah raced through the front door, sensing that Emma had come home, only to find her wife pacing, enraged to no end. There was a strange scent in the air, but she had to calm her wife. "What is it?"

The older blonde stalked the hall floor before grabbing her wife's wrist and dragging her to the kitchen. "She was with Regina! After we both told her no!" Maya paced some more, dragging her fingers through her hair rather roughly before glaring a hole into the wall. "Regina bit her! She marked Emma!"

Sarah's eyes widened. This was very bad. "Did Emma-?"

"I don't know!" Maya wished she could smash things without upsetting her wife or her child. "I told you this would happen! I knew her heart would get broken! My _best friend_ and my daughter, maybe we can just find another small town…"

"Don't be ridiculous. If Emma didn't get to return the claim then we can still fix this! There's no need to move just yet." Sarah knew they were both in an unwinnable position. Emma had come home though. She'd come home, and she was their priority.

Emma hated when her mothers fought. It was always her fault. Maybe it had been a mistake returning. She crept to the edge of the kitchen and watched them snarl and rage, watched them comfort each other. Her heart broke because this was something she wanted and couldn't, wouldn't have. "She didn't." Both older blondes spun to face her and she took a step backwards. "She didn't let me bite her back."

Sarah eyed her daughter backing up slowly. "Oh no, you get back here!" She watched Emma's internal debate between fleeing and staying. A sense of satisfaction filled her as her daughter crept closer until she was in her arms. She knew how badly it hurt her baby to be rejected like that by her mate. Sure Emma had girlfriends before, but no one serious that her baby had even considered mating with. "Are you okay?"

"It hurts. The bite, the, um," Emma coughed, effectively cutting off herself from giving too much away. "Why didn't she want me, Mom? It didn't even have to be a bite people could see."

Moving the shirt aside, Sarah gasped at the viciousness of the bite. She had expected some bruising and tenderness, but this was… Regina had to have sunk her teeth all the way in and kept biting after the taste of blood. Her own bite to Maya wasn't even as savage and they had been rather passionate their first time mating. "Baby this is going to get infected. Go upstairs."

"But-" Emma pouted as her mother's eyes narrowed as a slim finger directed her towards the stairs. "Fine."

"Take a bath. I'm sure your body is sore. We will discuss this later." Maya closed her eyes and took several deep breaths as she heard the light footsteps upstairs. "Oh Sarah, she's so upset! What do I do?"

"I'm proud you asked instead of going to torture Regina." Sarah leaned up and kissed her wife. "For now we just try and be here for Emma. Regina claimed her which is going to be difficult for Emma to reconcile not being equals. I'm not sure if Regina didn't accept her bite because of Daniel or because the outdated belief that an omega bite shows weakness, but Emma has always desired to be on equal footing. Regina has to know this considering the job she gave our daughter. Emma would never be happy being a housewife raising babies as her sole purpose."

Maya sighed and nodded, pulling her wife close. She had no idea how to proceed. Her daughter was brokenhearted, and quite literally broken from… her escapades with her best friend. Regina… a growl ripped from her throat. Regina she'd just have to deal with later, when she was less angry, because if she destroyed Regina she'd also fully break Emma. A rock and a hard place was no longer a metaphor but a reality. This was something she definitely couldn't talk to Regina about, no matter how badly she needed to in order to understand the situation fully.

 **SQSQSQ**

It had taken Emma three days of desk work to feel up to field work. The bite had not been healing all that well. Emma blamed herself for her slip in moving, due to shock, which had triggered a ferocious reaction in her alpha… no, not her alpha… in Regina. A lot of hydrogen peroxide and polysporin had gone into getting the bite to a place where Emma could move without bleeding. It hadn't felt the greatest yet to move, but Emma was positively itching to get back to some fieldwork, hopefully take her mind off Regina and the current situation.

"Goddammit, Leroy! Get in there!" Graham huffed and hauled the bloody drunk into a cell.

"Fun call?" Emma raised an eyebrow at the beaten man. He must have finally found someone worthy enough to put up a decent fight judging by his state. She turned to Graham who looked exhausted and out of breath. "You okay?"

Graham nodded and gulped down a cup of cold water from the cooler. "Tried to run away."

Emma gave a noncommittal hum. Graham had been pretty lazy lately, especially when she'd been in the office answering the phones. It'd take him a good five, ten minutes before he rolled out the doors in response and too long in returning. It made her seriously question if opening up another position for deputy wasn't a bad idea.

"Want some?" Graham opened the box of donuts and pushed them towards her after he'd made his selection.

"Is this what you were doing before bringing Leroy in?" Emma eyed the box with a frown. "Graham, this isn't- oompf." She felt her back collide with the wall as her deputy pressed himself against her front. "Deputy Humbert!"

Graham inhaled her scent deeply before scrunching his nose. Emma smelt like…. Regina. "You're claimed?" He sniffed again and noticed there was still sweetness underneath Regina's scent. This bond wasn't permanent. He could still claim her and deal with Regina later. Grabbing Emma's chin, he forced her lips to meet his.

"Get off!" Emma struggled underneath the heavy weight of the man. His lips were rough, far too dry. He smelled like pine and mud, not appealing at all. When she finally twisted her head free from underneath him, he began roughly nuzzling her raw bite mark. Whimpering at the pain, Emma felt something else digging into her hip. It took a lot of maneuvering and struggling before she was able to wrench the nightstick free. One good blow to the back had Graham staggering backwards.

"Alright sistah!"

Before Emma could respond to the drunkard, Graham had regained his balance and pushed her back against the wall, nightstick falling to the floor. "I can remember when I'm with you. I have to be with you. You can make everyone remember." The deputy forced his lips back on Emma's despite the sheriff's struggle.

Emma screamed as the deputy went back to grinding his nose into her open flesh. She could feel the bite mark reopen. "Get off!" Wriggling one knee between herself and Graham, Emma brought it up as high as possible before kicking out and connecting with the soft flesh of the man's inner thigh. It wasn't a direct hit, but luckily Ai happened to be entering the station just then and assisted in pulling the man off.

"Swan? You okay?" Ai looked at the blood staining through the sheriff's shirt. "To the cell?"

Emma waved the woman off. "Graham, you're fired. Get out!"

"No, I need to remember! You help me remember!" Graham made move to get back to Emma, to recapture the brief memories of another life that flashed before his eyes when he was in contact with the blonde.

Ai spun him easily and shoved him towards the door. "I believe she said you're fired." Growling, the alpha squared her shoulders and glared the man down until he left the station, tail between his legs. "Emma?"

"I'm fine." The response was curt, but Emma had offered a small smile turned wince as the warmth of the blood seeping through her shirt turned cold.

"Let me." Ai easily overpowered Emma, the fight having left the omega. She sat the sheriff in a desk chair and brought over the first aid kit, wincing at the gruesome looking bite. "Did he force himself on you?"

Looking out the window across the room, Emma shook her head no. "It just hasn't healed. Deputy Humbert, he didn't, we're not… no."

Ai felt Emma flinch as she applied the alcohol swab to clean around the wound. Whoever had been lucky enough to bed Emma certainly hadn't taken any care with such a precious gift. Had Emma chosen her, the bite, while well placed on her collarbone for display, it would have been gentler, definitely not so deep or so rough. She took great care to hold gauze on it until the crimson color no longer bled through. "So what happened?"

Tears of frustration pricked at the corners of Emma's eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out the feel of the deputy against her. Every muscle, every curve and dip, the hardness poking her stomach, how his scent had surrounded her, suffocated her as he forced his chapped, rough lips on hers, his nose jabbing various points on her cheeks… all of it was too much, too… too wrong. None of it was _her._ She was supposed to be strong, independent, able to protect herself. How could she be sheriff if her own staff had bested her? "He tried to claim me. Take away…"

The tall Asian woman barely heard the whispered ' _her'_ as Emma angrily swiped at her eyes before hissing in pain. "A real alpha would fight for you, Swan, make it known you're theirs to keep others from doing this. Whoever bit you, claimed you, they may have started with care, but it might not be such a bad idea to see if Dr. Whale can remove the mark."

"No!" Emma recoiled from the woman, eyes wide at the horror of that idea. She _cared_ for Regina, _loved_ her, even if it wasn't returned. Having never thought she'd ever get to the point where she'd even let herself get claimed, Emma held fast to her beliefs that if someone claimed her it would be for life. No matter how things had happened, the mark would remain.

"Okay, it's just something to think about. So many people…." Ai cut herself off, not wanting to upset the sheriff further by pointing out the alpha who'd done the claiming didn't care. "Since Graham is gone-"

"Welcome to the sheriff station. There's an extra deputy badge in my desk." Emma sighed, dug deep and found some strength to force herself to her feet and get Ai situated properly. All Ai had to do in the morning was turn in the paperwork to Re- to her. Her mothers at least would be happy that there was proper protection in the station.

 **SQSQSQ**

"Sheriff's Office, Deputy Zhang here. How can I help?" Ai frowned at the multiple muffled voices in the background before a gruff man came blaring through the receiver.

"My buddy's in a fight down on Strangler's Beach. Send help."

Ai frowned at the sniggers and cheering in the background. Clearly this was a prank, but it had to be investigated nonetheless. She picked up the radio and paged Emma who was on patrol. "Swan, there's a call about a fight down on the deserted side of the beach." She chuckled at the muffled curse that came through before the acknowledgement. "Be careful, sounded like a prank call."

Emma growled as she tossed the rest of her turkey wrap in the garbage. So much for lunch. Opting for no sirens, she drove the patrol car out to the beach. The drive stopped a good mile before the abandoned section of the beach. She had yet to figure out why it was abandoned. It seemed perfect to her, a little secluded, untouched waters. It certainly held more appeal than the crowded beach the opposite side that constantly swam with people from May to September. A few cans of beer and a bright red beanie littered the sand, but no people. Sighing, she went to clean the items. Prank indeed.

"Ahhhhh!" A tall, slender man shouted as he charged at Emma from the top of the dunes.

"What the-" Emma swiftly dodged the man, watching him stumble and kick up sand. A few minutes of scuffling and Emma had the man in handcuffs. She was leading him back towards the path when two more men, one barely five feet, the other tall. Both were rather portly. The bald little man snatched the red hat from her hand and put it on while the tall one came after her.

"Fellas," Smee smirked at the flailing sheriff doing a surprisingly good job fighting off Jack. "Get 'er."

Emma's eyes widened as at least a dozen men emerged from their hiding places. Three men she might be able to counter, but over ten…

Sam, one of the taller, more husky of the shipmates lunged forward, muttering curses at the small blonde before landing a few blows to delicate ribs. He quickly grabbed her arms and pinned her still for the next assault. Tears smarted, but Emma refused to show weakness right now. She kicked out as the footfalls of her next attacker came close. God, if she could just break free there was a chance she could outrun them.

"Yuh think yer too good for the Cap'in. Yer nuthin but a slut." A rather hard kick landed to her shin before a punch connected to the side of her head just past the corner of her right eye.

Crying out in pain, Emma tried to register the accusations being thrown at her. Cap'in… who the hell was… oh. The sleazy man from the diner. With her arms restrained behind her, she had no way to defend herself, Shaking her head, she tried to articulate, but it only came out as mumbled nonsense. "Not interested in _anyone._."

"Don't lie," Smee shouted, spit flying into Emma's face. "We saw ya with the other sheriff, goin at it in the station like no one see yas."

No, oh no! These men thought Graham assaulting her was consensual. Now she was being assaulted for the assault. Willing herself not to cry, she dug deep and found the strength to bring three of the men to their knees before one came around behind her and managed to wrench her forearm behind her while another pulled a knife and slashed at her. "NO!"

The ship crew ignored the sheriff's pleas and took turns getting their shots in against the blonde. Endless minutes passed as blows to her ribs, her extremities, her head kept coming, and endless stream of different hands coming at her. The leader, who belonged to the red hat, held up a hand, pausing them. Sneering, he ripped off a large piece of electrical tape and slapped it over the woman's mouth, pressing hard to adhere it over the busted bottom lip. With the tape in place, he threw a black cloth bag over the blonde's head. "Let's take 'her to The Cap'in."

No! They couldn't move her! Finding her strength, Emma fought and had just managed to struggle free when the men stopped. Her scream at being dropped on the hard ground… when had they moved to somewhere with solid ground? Her scream muffled, she wriggled and struggled to get the bag off her face. She could smell her mother though. Sarah had arrived to save her. She'd never been so grateful to have Sarah. The rage in her mother sounded effortless as Emma could hear the older blonde take out man after man. It gave her the strength to fight against the idiot who still held her captive, kicking out his knee before subduing him. Shortly after Sarah started fighting the men, Emma smelled another familiar person join them, Maya not far behind Sarah.

Emma couldn't get the damn bag off, so she curled up as small as possible, ignoring the pain shooting through her. The sheer smell enveloping the area of severely pissed off alphas, even if was her mothers, had her freezing in place. She wondered if it had the same effect on the men as well since there were so many. Thinking of her mothers hurt, Emma let out a distressed whine behind the tape.

"It's going to be okay, Emma." Maya took great pleasure in punching out one of the men that had tried to run from her wife. Stepping right between his shoulder blades, Maya glared the more timid ones down who looked in danger of fleeing. She nodded to the deputy that came flying up in the patrol car.

"Had to get the car from the beach." Ai quickly jumped into action pulling out some plastic cuffs to secure the ones closest to her.

Maya let Ai take the man she'd stood on, before making her way over to Emma. The fear and pain radiating off her daughter… dammit! She'd failed again. There was blood oozing from various cuts. No telling what injuries lie under her clothes, but Emma's worst injury looked to be her right arm that was bright red and purple, clearly broken. Gently she lifted the bag off her daughter's face, further angered at the goose egg on the side of Emma's head, the blood pouring out from under the tape, and what looked to be the start of quite a shiner.

Sarah kept her hold on the struggling man beneath her, knowing she couldn't get to her girls until the scum was properly secured. Ai continued to wrangle the remaining men while her wife was slowly approaching their daughter who was clearly injured. "Emma?"

Emma let herself fall into Maya's arms, hissing as her bruised ribs made solid contact. Her injuries were bad, but not nearly the worst she'd ever received. She recoiled though when the older woman went to remove the tape covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Emma. We can wait until the hospital to remove it." Maya scooped Emma up carefully, her wife on her heels as she carried Emma out of the damn woods.

"Maya slow down! Emma, Emma are you alright?" Sarah tried to get her wife to stop, to be able to inspect her daughter. Maya's glare had her briefly stepping back before surging around them to get a glance at her daughter.

"Sarah, stop it! We need to get to the hospital." Maya growled, bringing Emma closer to her body before swiftly moving around Sarah. She knew her wife was itching to unleash her alpha, but now was not the time.

It wasn't until Maya finally laid Emma on the gurney waiting for them at the hospital doors that Sarah got a true look at the damage done to her daughter. "Why?"

Emma registered too many unfamiliar faces, clutching at Maya's hand in panic. There were people poking and prodding, someone sticking the cannula in her nose. She could hear a man identify himself as a doctor explain they were going to take her back now causing her to scramble to maintain her hold on Maya's hand.

"It'll be okay, Emma. Your mom and I will be right here. Dr. Whale is going to take you back to see what's wrong." Maya shot the doctor a warning look. "Whale."

The man nodded, instructing his team to administer the sedative so they could work in peace without an agitated sheriff fighting them off. Once they had their x-rays in, two nurses went to work removing the tape from the young woman's mouth. By the time they'd run all their tests and figured out Emma's injuries, the woman's parents were an impatient, anxious mess.

"How's Emma?"

Whale looked at both women. Dealing with families was his least favorite part. "Sheriff Swan has a split bottom lip we had to sew up, five bruised ribs, several lacerations we dressed, a rather large knot on her head we will need to do a concussion test for when she wakes, and a fractured ulna. We've put the arm in a cast."

Sarah frowned and looked past the man towards the rooms. "Where is she? Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"While most injuries are minor, from what I understand and from what the x-rays show, Miss Swan has been through quite a lot. She needs her rest in order to heal." Dr. Whale wondered if these two knew of or caused some of the woman's prior injuries.

"What room?" Maya listened to the man just long enough to know where to go before darting off to her daughter's room. "Emma?" She burst into the room to find a nurse setting some sort of machines. The first thing she noticed was how pink and irritated the delicate skin on the young woman's face was where the tape had been. The next was the aqua colored cast on Emma's right arm. "Oh, Em."

Sarah joined her wife shortly after getting information on how long Emma would have to stay in the hospital and what homecare would entail. Her poor girl just couldn't catch a break. "Maya, are you alright?"

"I'm not hurt." Maya could feel the bruises on her knuckles, but they were easy to ignore. "Em is the one who's injured." She turned to her wife, allowing Sarah to envelop her in her arms. "Why can't I protect her?"

"You can't control someone who targets Emma. We are trying while still giving Emma her independence. This is what we agreed upon." A small smile graced Sarah's face at how seriously Maya took her role as Emma's mother.

"Momma?" Both women jumped apart and to Emma's bedside causing the young blonde to flinch slightly at the rapid movement coming towards her.

Sarah took Emma's left hand in hers and gave a light squeeze. "We're here, baby."

Emma turned her head, trying to focus on the voice, stopping when pain lanced through her. "Momma?" She lifted her other arm for Maya, confused why it felt so heavy.

Maya felt tears well, unable to hold them back. She moved closer to the side of Emma's bed, whispering calming words to her daughter. "You're alright now, Em. There's a few injuries so try and stay still."

"Don't leave."

Sarah's heart broke. She knew one of Emma's biggest insecurities was abandonment, how hospitals equated to being left for her daughter. "We're not going anywhere. Promise. Get some rest."

Neither woman left Emma's side for the first several hours. Whale had determined Emma had a minor concussion and they were all monitoring the sheriff to ensure it didn't worsen.

 **SQSQSQ**

Gold had heard of Emma Swan's misfortune and considered it his own luck. Delivering the book to the woman hadn't worked, and whatever stunt the idiot Huntsman had pulled didn't help. Right now he was focused on trying to break the curse by getting the woman's mother to connect with her. "Ms. Blanchard."

The pixie haired woman froze at the sinister voice of her landlord. "Mr. Gold, what can I do for you?" She shifted nervously, fiddling with the vases of flowers on her cart.

"I was just by the sheriff's room to wish her well and noticed a lack of flowers." He did his best to smile at her. "Is there any particular reason you've not been by?" Delighting in the woman's unease, Gold pressed further. "You were planning on visiting her, no?"

"I, um, well…" Mary Margaret honestly hadn't planned to. She knew the woman hadn't liked her when they met in the diner, and being around someone with the same name as her child… well it ruined her day and defeated the purpose of volunteering at the hospital.

Gold just narrowed his eyes and leaned in close. "See that you do, dearie. Wouldn't want our sheriff to feel put out by you. I imagine _Em-ma_ would very much like some flowers." He smirked to himself, feeling far too smug. "Besides, you're not in a position to say no to me."

Mary just sighed, willing herself not to cry in front of this monster. She'd been in debt to this man ever since he'd offered to find out information on her baby for her. Everything came with a price, and his was steep.

"I expect her room to be your next stop, dearie."

The volunteer glared as the man limped away. No doubt someone would report back to him if she didn't visit the blonde sheriff. Making her way to the room, she was surprised to find the woman in such a battered state. Picking up a vase, she made her way into the room. "I don't know if you remember me or not?"

"The woman who gave away her baby named Emma." Emma scooted a bit further up in bed, trying not to jostle her ribs too much. She had been getting visitors and well wishers, but this particular woman wasn't one she'd been expecting. "Thanks for the flowers."

Mary Margaret winced at the jab. It wasn't as if she'd thrown her baby away. She'd had no job back then, no way of supporting a child. The father, David, he and his wife had refused to help. She had read the newspaper just like everyone else. No doubt her story had affected this Emma some kind of way, so instead of going off on the woman, she merely offered miniscule smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better than yesterday." Emma gave a slight shrug, looking over at her mother for help.

"Did they give you an estimate of how long you'd be here?" MM hoped it wouldn't be long. Having to deliver flowers to this particular woman every day would not bode well for either of them. The way Ruby talked, Emma was nice enough. She just couldn't connect to her.

Emma shrugged, studying the tiny woman before her. The bright red of the candy striper apron. "No, but no one is really going to stop me leaving if I really can't take it anymore."

Sarah eyed her daughter, an eyebrow raised. "Like hell we won't. You're going to heal properly _exactly_ how Whale dictates."

"And no one's been by?" Mary glanced around shocked. There was a black blanket with poisoned apples on it, clearly not hospital issued, a bright purple pillow behind the blonde hair, even a stuffed animal half hidden behind the pillow, but no cards or flowers. "I could bring some more flowers tomorrow." Despite being new, surely a position like sheriff should have garnered _some_ attention.

"I prefer actual visitors than a gift in lieu of them." Emma glanced at the clock, wondering if it was time for one of her mothers to fetch lunch from Granny's yet. "How's the book?"

Shifting uncomfortably, MM shrugged. Fairytales really weren't her thing. While these ones were new, something in her gut screamed they were familiar,, particularly Snow White, whose story too similar to her own. It had made her abandon the book shortly after reading that chapter. "Perhaps my students will get more use from it."

A nurse came in to change the fluids on the IV pole giving both women the excuse to cut their visit short, Mary Margaret gratefully excusing herself under the guise of privacy for Emma to leave and make the rest of her rounds.

Emma sighed heavily in relief. "Thank God!"

Sarah took that time to excuse herself as well to go grab lunch knowing both her daughter and wife were hungry.

Maya smiled and brushed some hair off Emma's face. "How are you really feeling?"

"Embarrassed, frustrated, pained." Emma sighed and went to fidget with the edge of her blanket.

The older blonde noticed Emma did this whenever she needed a distraction from the ongoings in her room. "Why are you embarrassed, dear?"

Emma slapped her uninjured arm down on her bed before gesturing down the length of her body. "Because I can't protect myself. All I've done since coming here is get hurt or cause you and Mom to fight. No matter how hard I try, nothing I do goes right and it sucks!"

"Oh honey!" Maya moved to sit on the edge of the hospital bed, pulling Emma in for a hug. "Don't ever think you're why your mom and I disagree. We both have very strong feelings, and when we get going our disagreements don't even have to be what we started the disagreement about." She chuckled at her daughter's confused expression. "Alphas, dear. Neither one of us is willing to let it go until we are established as dominant. It gets tricky, but it works for us. You're never to blame for us getting loud."

"But-"

Maya shook her head no. "No buts." She smiled down at her girl, cupping her cheek tenderly. "You're also not to blame for these cowards attacking you. You gave a few of those men serious enough injuries that Dr. Whale saw them after you were brought in." She sighed and leaned away to look into defeated green eyes. "Your mom and I both wish you did something a little less dangerous, but you are strong enough. No one can fight thirteen men at once. We got really lucky there wasn't more serious injuries. Going forward, I doubt anyone is going to attempt to do this again. I would-"

"I know, I'll need at least one or two more deputies besides Ai to assist." Emma sighed in defeat. "I just didn't want a glorified desk job."

Maya knew Emma would hate that, that it was part of the reason she found no satisfaction working at the grocer. Her girl wanted to be doing something, making a difference. It was something she admitted in the girl. "You're more than a glorified desk jockey. People respect the sheriff. You're still going to patrol and handle crimes, complaints, all that. You'll just have help now."

"If you say so." Emma grumped, not wanting or liking to admit that she needed help.

"One minute, Em. I'm going to step out." She pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead as worry immediately appeared. "I'll leave the door open. I'm not going far." Maya gave her daughter another hug before slipping outside, leaving the door open a crack. Her demeanor instantly changed to cold and unreadable. "Regina."

Regina certainly wasn't expecting this type of reaction, but with Emma hurt maybe her friend wasn't mad solely at her. "Maya, how's Emma?"

Blue eyes narrowed as Maya crossed her arms over her chest. "Emma is recovering, no thanks to you."

"No thanks to me?! I didn't-" Regina growled as Maya cut her off again.

That's right you didn't." Maya stepped forward, in the fellow alpha's space. "You claimed her and didn't let anyone know, kept it hidden from everyone like you are ashamed. You haven't been around to protect her, so this is your fault." Maya made no attempt to hide the fury in her eyes. "Had this town known Emma was yours, that you cared for her even, those idiotic wannabe pirates would have left her alone."

"I-I" Regina gaped helplessly at her friend, unsure what the right response was. She knew everything about that week with Emma she should have approached with more care. "I never meant to hurt her. I just want to make sure she's okay."

Maya kept side stepping with her friend as Regina tried to move around her. "Regina, you need to figure out what it is you truly want. If you want my daughter, you're going to court her properly. No more sneaking around and hiding. There'll be no more hurting my daughter with this not wanting her to claim you nonsense. Either decide you're going to be fully with her or let her go."

Growling, Regina stepped closer to Maya, getting agitated at being talked down to. "Emma was just fine during her time with me. You weren't there so don't try and tell me how it was or what I'm feeling. I care about Emma!"

"Well you're doing a piss poor job of showing it." Maya wasn't about to back down as Regina's alpha reared. "You haven't even spoken to her since she came back home."

Regina was about to respond, but Emma's timid, "Momma?", breezed through the door making her catch her breath. Her eyes widened, elation for her friend taking over. She knew how hard Maya had been trying and struggling to bond with Emma. "That's new! When did that happen?"

Maya stepped backwards towards the door. "When they hurt her. Seriously, Regina, get your shit together. Figure it out, and if you intend to court Emma we expect you to do so properly. Really think about it." She turned and entered Emma's room again, closing the door behind her. She couldn't help but smile as her daughter was engrossed in setting up a card game.

"Wanna play?" Emma waited until Maya was seated before locking eyes with her. Sliding over one pile to the older blonde, she offered a smile. "Thank you."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N *Trigger Warning***

 **-kidnapping**

 **-violence (taser)**

 **Blame Sidney….**

 **Absolutely mild... Hopefully it doesn't upset any of you, but warnings are there just in case**

Regina had waited a few days once Emma was home to go over. She'd really sat and thought about it, what she wanted, what it meant for her past and her present, how she could prove to Emma she was serious. Taking the turquoise colored leash from David, the mayor walked to the front door hoping that Emma would be alone at this hour. Shifting nervously after ringing the bell, Regina glanced down at the brown pile of fluff at her feet.

"Regina?" Emma opened the door, honestly shocked to see the woman here after her mother laid into her. "What are you doing here?"

Squaring her shoulders, Regina offered a tentative smile to her gorgeous girl. "I came to apologize, to talk."

"Okay?" Emma maneuvered outside, stopping short when she noticed something shuffling backwards. Looking down, she squealed in delight as the puppy at her feet wriggled in excitement. "You got me a puppy?!"

Before Regina could answer, the blonde had dropped to her knees, using her free hand to pet the wriggling mass of fur. "I did. You talked about how you had a dog you adored in one of your good homes. I figured you could train this one to be a police dog so she could always be with you."

Emma just beamed as the puppy crawled forward until it was cradled in the blonde's body, greedily licking her face. Regina scrunched her nose in disgust, but Emma seemed overjoyed. "How? I didn't know you approved a service dog in the budget."

"I made adjustments, the first of many when it comes to you." Regina moved to sit on the porch swing. "Emma, can we talk?"

The blonde's spirits instantly fell. "This is where you tell me it was truly a mistake, right, that you wish me to get the bite removed?"

Regina quickly jolted up, hand slamming the screen door shut again so Emma couldn't flee. "No! No, Emma. I want to talk about that week, my actions, and where we go from here."

Reluctantly Emma nodded, moving to sit next to Regina on the swing, sour mood not clearing so she focused on the puppy. At least she hoped this was one thing Regina wasn't going to take back. Regina waited, finally squeezing the blonde's knee to get her attention. "Miss Swan, what we did," she stopped once she noticed Emma stiffen up. Sighing, she scooted closer to Emma, trying to emit calming pheromones. "I fully intend to mate with you again, if you'll allow."

"You will?"

Shock was evident in the sheriff's voice, causing the mayor to lean forward and capture Emma's lips in a gentle kiss. "Of course, Emma. I truly care for you."

"That's certainly not how you made me feel." Emma glared at the woman. "You made me feel like I'm a second choice, not worthy enough to be with you anywhere but the bedroom. You didn't let me," The blonde frowned, glancing down at her healing claim mark. "I will not just be some bedwarmer you can throw away after rut."

"I wasn't ready, Emma, and for hurting you I'm sorry." Regina cupped Emma's cheek, stroking the delicate bone bearing a healing bruise lovingly. "I wasn't ready to let my past, Daniel, go."

Emma stiffened, squirming away from the touch, annoyed at the woman's gall despite the shivers of pleasure it sent straight to her core. "I will not play second fiddle to a ghost. I've spent my whole life being a second choice, of being the person no one ever truly wanted around, except my mother. You _bit_ me, claimed me, and yet all you've done since then is abandon me. I got hurt because you didn't find me worthy enough to announce your claim. Graham, he wouldn't have sexually assaulted me if you had let me return the claim. The damn fishermen wouldn't have tried to kidnap and rape me if Graham hadn't… I'm not some weak little omega happy to be at your beck and call, disappearing when you don't want me anymore. I am your _equal,_ even if being here I've never felt more weak and pathetic."

Regina watched the woman pace her frustration out on the length of porch in front of the swing, the puppy giving confused whines and growls, unsure how to respond to her owner's distress. "I _know_ you are my equal in every way. It is my fault you've gotten hurt, and I will deal with Graham, rest assured. He will not bother _anyone_ again." Saving her fury at the Huntsman until she could deal with him personally, she latched onto Emma's hand and pulled her to sit again. "The fishermen, they will be punished severely as well. I will spend my life making it up to you. My actions were, are, reprehensible. I truly hadn't meant to claim you just yet. We talked-"

Emma nodded and sighed. "We wanted to establish our feelings further before claiming." She sighed and rubbed the puppy's ear. "I know, but then you bit me and I thought you had figured out your feelings, wanted me. But you shoved me away when I tried to return it. Just brought back bad memories of adults telling me I'd only ever be good for one thing, never measure up, never be seen as human."

"Oh, Emma!" Regina managed to pull Emma half on her lap before the damn puppy growled at her. "Emma, that was never my intention. While I hadn't meant to claim you, I'm glad you're mine." Regina leaned down to nuzzle the mark, pleased when Emma turned and stretched her neck, giving her more room. "Being without you, I have been utterly miserable, and it's my own fault. I am the pathetic one not fighting for you or showing you and this town that I adore you, that you are mine. I will never make that mistake again. Let me announce to the entire town that you're mine if you wish."

"Only when I get to return the claim. I have enough issues with people thinking I'm less than, that I'm weak, or not worthy. I'm happy to be yours, but I don't want to have everyone here making further assumptions because you claimed me, but it hasn't been returned." Emma shifted, sliding back fully onto the bench of the swing. "I want you to be sure, Regina. There's no winning against ghosts, and I've done enough fighting for you, for us. I'm not sure I'm ready to believe you're serious about moving forward with me, leaving your past where it belongs."

Regina was disappointed, but part of why she was attracted to Emma was her fight, her independent spirit. She'd really fucked up, and now it was time for her to alpha up and prove herself worthy. "I was hoping we might go out on a date. It-"

"No." Both ladies turned to find Maya coming up the walk to the porch. "Emma hasn't recovered from her injuries yet. You abandoned her and have done nothing to prove you deserve my girl." She frowned as a brown mop bounded over to her. "What is this?"

Emma beamed at her mother's reaction, still surprised how much Maya truly cared. Standing up, she moved closer to the animal. "Regina got me a puppy! I'm going to train her to be a police dog." The young blonde reached down to fawn over the shaggy thing. "Isn't she so cute?"

Maya glared at the mayor. "When I said to sort out your feelings, this was _not_ how you were supposed to apologize to my Emma. You cannot bribe your way into good graces."

Sarah came up the walk having heard the tail end of the conversation. "Whose good graces?"

"Mine, yours." Emma turned to look at her mom. With a sigh, she bent down to pet her new puppy. "Regina wants to go on dates. Momma said no."

The former snow queen offered her girl a sympathetic smile, she knew how hurt by Regina Emma was. While she was probably excited about what Regina was saying, her brain couldn't shut off the mayor's actions, wouldn't risk being hurt again. "Well, I assume since Regina is here that she chose you?" Emma nodded. "How do you propose she show you her commitment without the opportunity?"

"Sarah!" Maya glared at her wife, ready and willing to just hide her daughter away from Regina. Emma seemed right in line with her too. Regina had her chance, many of them, and blew them all.

"We both expect Regina to prove herself, to our girl, to us." Sarah took in the scene before her, amazed how Emma adopted Maya's mannerisms when distressed so quickly. Both were petulantly looking for a distraction, ready to shut out this whole situation. "The dates don't have to be flamboyant or alone. They can hang out and spend time getting to know one another." She turned to Regina, eyes narrowing. "Absolutely no funny business."

Emma's brows furrowed, not understanding why her mom was so for this all of a sudden. "Mom?"

Sarah sighed, moving to pull her daughter into her embrace. "You both need time to get to know each other before your next heat." She glared at Regina over the top of her girl's head. "I'm only suggesting this because I know you are my daughter's happiness. We will still expect you to pull out all the stops, prove that you're ready for commitment, and won't hurt Emma again."

"I still don't like this." Maya grumped, eyes narrowed at her wife before turning to her friend. " _If_ Emma agrees, you can have dates here or in public. No more hiding. No sex. You know how to properly treat a lady. I," Maya stopped as her wife cleared her throat, brow raised. " _We_ expect you to show Emma respect. You have a huge heart when you choose to use it."

Regina just nodded, not in a position to make any demands or adjust the terms. It crushed her heart to see Emma not sold, unsure if her mate was going to give her another chance. "Emma?"

When Emma stayed silent too long, Sarah guided her chin up to meet turbulent green eyes. "It's your choice, Em. You know Maya and I will stand behind you whatever you choose. I don't want you hurt again, I also think Regina's finally pulled her head out of her ass."

Sighing, Emma just nodded, scuffing her foot across the porch, staring at the woodwork. Regina hurt her, was partly responsible for others hurting her here. While her heart was in a million pieces, the only one who could potentially fix it was Regina, and she couldn't do that without another chance. Looking back at her mom, she made a decision to at least give one date, just one, to see if the mayor was serious this time. "True. If it was just about sex she could have had anyone in town, her alpha is _really_ assertive."

"Gross, thank you Emma." Maya's face contorted in disgust. Some things she really didn't want to know. At least Regina had shown up, intending to prove herself to Emma, getting to know her better before they proceeded to fall into bed again. She couldn't deny Emma's pouting puppy dog face or her girl's chance at her own love story. "If you really want to do this then public dates, preferably here in the _living room._ "

Emma rolled her eyes. Hadn't they just gone over this? If she was going to give Regina a second chance then she was more than capable of deciding how and where Regina proved herself. "Momma, I-"

"Okay."

Both blondes turned to Regina in shock. Emma's brows scrunched in confusion. "Okay?"

Regina just nodded, trying to squirm away from the excited pup. "I hurt you, Emma, even if I didn't intend to. My actions, or lack of them, lead you to be injured by those thugs, by Gra- Deputy Humbert. It happened. Your good graces aren't the only ones I have to work myself back into." She nodded over to Maya so Emma understood. "I need to prove myself your worthy alpha to everyone. Being close to home isn't a bad thing. The way you interact with your parents, it's truly a sight to see. There's plenty of events to go to in Storybrooke that are public as well. No more hiding."

Emma walked over to Regina, hesitating before she threw her good arm around the woman. "No more hiding." Caught up in the moment, she leaned back to give the mayor a quick peck before blushing at her mother's cough. "Consider your trial period officially started, but if you _ever_ hurt me again!"

"I will personally torture you myself before I slowly dismember you and feed your pieces to the fishes." Maya's eyes narrowed, both Emma and Regina shivering a bit at her seriousness. "Make no mistake in my leniency thus far, Regina. We may be friends, and I haven't hurt you _yet_ because Emma is capable of handling you on her own, but you've made your decision to be a proper alpha worthy of my child. Fuck up from here on out and I _will_ fuck you up."

Looking to relieve the tense atmosphere, Emma looked between the two. "What are we going to name her? Is it a her?" Bending down, Emma examined the puppy, who happily flopped on her back to get a belly rub.

Maya glared at Regina as the beast crawled over to her, releasing itself all over her shoes in excitement. A puppy was definitely not something Emma needed right now. Ugh, if Regina wasn't her best friend! "It will not come in unless you are cleaning up after it."

"Of course! I can throw your shoes in the washer." Emma pulled the puppy close to her, pulling her most irresistible puppy dog face. "Lucca is going to be the best police dog ever!"

 **SQSQSQ**

"Can we go see Celeste?" Emma bounded after her mother, bored out of her mind and itching to go do something.

Maya sighed, knowing Emma had been cooped up too long. "Fine, but Lucca stays until she's better trained."

Emma pouted, not wanting to leave her new shadow behind, but she really wanted to see Maya's horse. Grabbing a bully stick, she made sure Lucca was secure in her outside pen on this nice day before chasing after her mom. "What's she like?"

"Celeste?" Maya looped an arm around Emma's shoulders, pulling her close and getting whiffs of the rose shampoo she adored. "She's got a beautiful golden coat, white mane. Her temperament is just the best, so sweet and patient."

The duo walked to the stables, happily chatting away. Neither noticed the man lurking in the forest, watching every move the younger blonde made. It sickened him that this outsider had cost him everything, and then had the gall to reject his beloved Regina. The beating those fishermen gave the girl wasn't nearly enough.

"Tom, come meet Emma." Maya waited just inside the barn until a big bellied man wearing overalls came out to greet them. "Emma, this is Tom. He runs the stables."

"Hello, little lady. I've heard much about you." Tom gently squeezed the bicep on the young woman's good arm, knowing it'd be awkward to attempt a handshake with the opposite one. "Celeste has been prancing and pacing her stall all morning, must've known you were comin'."

Emma felt her nerves increase as horses in their stalls randomly stuck their heads out at her and snorted. She knew she had to remain calm, horses smelled fear, but the large animals still made her slightly jumpy. She gaped when Maya stopped in front of a stall with an overly eager horse poking its head out.

"This is Celeste." Maya stroked her beast's cheek before offering a carrot from the bucket next to the stall door. "Such a good girl. Celeste, meet Emma." She turned to eye her daughter. "Don't be afraid. Come here."

"Um." Emma shuffled closer, presenting the flat palm of her uninjured hand. She was surprised when all the horse did was cock her head to the side before shaking her mane out. "What?"

"She's waiting for you to touch her." Maya fished out a sugar cube from her pocket. "Celeste knows when she needs to allow people to approach at their own pace." She smiled encouragingly as Emma stepped closer, letting the horse nuzzle her palm before her daughter stroked up the nose.

Emma eyed the sugar cube in her mother's hand. "Can I?" She beamed when Maya deposited a few cubes in her hand. The odd sensation of velvety soft lips and prickly whiskers tickled pale skin causing the young blonde to giggle. "Someone likes sugar."

Maya rolled her eyes and patted her horse's nose as Celeste was still searching Emma's open palm for more sugar cubes. "This one could eat a whole bucket and still want more. Her second favorite treat happens to be the apples from Regina's tree."

"Girl after my own heart!" Emma smiled at the beautiful blonde horse before shuffling backwards in order to open the gate.

"She's really gentle, just approach from the front or side, never the back. She gets spooked just like you do." Maya picked up the bucket of brushes for Celeste and brought them into the pen. "We can give her a good brush down after we've let her stretch her legs in the exercise pen."

Emma struggled to climb the fence, but eventually got herself situated up on top of the fence to watch while Celeste ran around the pen. "When can I ride with you?"

Maya was on the ground next to Emma. She looked up pointedly at the cast still adorning her daughter's arm. "When Dr. Whale clears you. I'll be more than happy to take you on a horse after your ribs and arm have healed."

"Are you upset I didn't call you mom right away?"

"What? Emma!" Maya immediately focused all her attention on Emma who no longer would meet her gaze. Sighing, Maya tapped the girl's thigh until she had her attention. "Emma, I never expected to make an immediate connection where you would call me mom. I knew it'd take time. If you had found you never were comfortable calling me anything but Maya I would have adjusted. Families take time. What brought this on?"

Emma shrugged, glancing over to watch Celeste trot instead. "I heard you with Regina. Talking to her again, hanging out, it reminded me of what she said to you in the hospital."

The older blonde sighed. "I'm happy Regina has stepped up for you, dear." She nudged Emma's knee playfully. "Even if I walked in on you two making out like teenagers and am scarred for life." Emma laughing filled her heart with joy. "I know it's going to take more time to feel fully bonded with me, but never doubt I love you. Your mom and I love you more than all the stars that have ever existed in the sky."

Having people there for her that truly cared, feeling loved, was something new, something so surreal for Emma. With all that happened, despite her mothers more than proving themselves, Emma was always worried that love would be snatched from her any second. "I love you too."

The pair washed and brushed Celeste out before cleaning out her pen. It was a good few hours bonding for both of them even if the remainder of their time with Celeste the conversation was directed towards the horse.

 **SQSQSQ**

Sidney frowned as he stared at the crumpled note he'd found inside his mailbox a few days earlier. Why the creepy imp of a pawn shop owner wanted to help bring down Emma Swan he didn't know, but after watching her be so happy playing with his beloved's emotions. With a deep breath, he entered the dusty old pawn shop.

Gold sneered as the bell rang up front. No one ever came in, so he knew the sniveling genie had received his note. Hobbling to the front of the store, he eyed the shady man before him fingering a globe. "Mr. Glass."

The man jumped, fully embarrassed as the old man laughed at him. "You," he waved the note in the air, "sent this?"

"Indeed I did, Mr. Glass. Do come in." Gold maneuvered himself behind the counter, shifting aside some contents of one of the cases.

"Why?" Sidney approached with caution, curiosity getting the better of him. "What do _you_ have against Emma Swan?"

Gold frowned, struggling to reach the vial needed. "I have my own business that is none of yours. Miss Swan factors into those plans."

Sidney's eyes narrowed. So the old man wasn't helping from the kindness in his heart but for personal gain. He had no problem doing the dirty work, a partner would detract from his own personal goals and reasons for going after the blonde. "How can you help?"

"Ahh, here it is!" Gold produced a clear vial with a goldish orange powder. "I assume you'll need to subdue not only Miss Swan, but her new mutt as well. This should do nicely for Miss Swan, just make sure the powder gets into her nose and mouth. She has to inhale it."

"What is this?" Sidney eyed the vial concerned this was something that could wind up hurting him.

The former dark one rolled his eyes. "It's a powder from the poppy plant. Miss Swan inhales it and passes out long enough for you to at least restrain her."

Sidney snatched the vial, pocketing it as he studied the man. "You really don't care if the sheriff lives or dies?"

"Either outcome works within my favor." Gold eyed the shifty man shrewdly. "Be mindful your consequences when you're discovered. Her majesty will not take kindly."

The dark skinned man left the pawn shop more confused than when he walked in. Why would Mr. Gold of all people want the sheriff out of the way when the man wasn't even on friendly terms with the mayor? What was the deal with her majesty? This wasn't a land where royals ruled. How was he going to get the blasted mutt down so he could get to Emma?

Gold hobbled after the former reporter, flipping the open sign to closed before going back to the globe earlier admired. Spinning it, he couldn't help but feel his goal of getting Bae was finally within reach. His memory potion to cross the town line was almost complete. He just needed a large enough quantity for him and Belle, because he was getting Belle back once the powers of the Dark One were restored. Bae and Belle, a family, just as soon as Emma Swan broke the curse. "Almost, my son. Papa is ready."

 **SQSQSQ**

It had taken Sidney nearly a week more of observing, of tracking Emma's every movement. The time spent with Regina he snarled at. Soon enough his beloved would be all his, Regina would see _he_ was her true love, not some insipid, vapid little omega unworthy of the mayor's attention. Unfortunately he was

"Here Mutt, Mutt, Mutt." Sidney whistled, attempting to call the shaggy chocolate thing from the porch.

A few minutes and Sidney had all but given up until a low warning growl sounded behind him. Smirking, he cautiously turned around, pulling the pill laced steak from the bag in hand.

Lucca eyed the dangerous stranger warily, at least until she smelt the meat.

Sidney waited and watched the puppy devour the steak and her sleeping pills. Step one complete, now to just isolate Emma in order to take her.

"I can't believe you and Regina. People have been wondering since she's never been with anyone." Lacey walked with Emma towards the house, arms full of books the blonde selected to read. "Lena and I had a bet going if she'd ever settle down."

Emma giggled, envisioning the outspoken ladies doubling down on a hypothetical date Regina found someone to be with. "Who gets the pot now?"

Lacey shrugged, not having thought of that. "We put it in a vacation fund jar. Every day that passes we put ten dollars in there each. If it was an even day, I picked where we'd go. An odd day Lena would pick."

"I think I definitely deserve that." Emma yelped as Sidney jumped out at them. "What the hell?!"

Sidney ripped off the top of the vial, throwing the powder at both women. "You talk about Regina like she'd a joke when such an exquisite woman should be cherished and honored. You don't deserve her!"

Emma attempted to run, but whatever she'd just breathed in made her woozy, too nauseated to fight back. Rushing to Lacey's side as she collapsed, Emma forgot about fighting the crazed man. "Lace? Lacey?" Spinning, she turned to shout at the man only to be hit with some sort of electric jolt that has her vision blacking out, the sky beyond the top of the tree line the last thing she saw before it all faded away.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N *Trigger Warning***

 **-violence… just a tiny bit, again, Blame Sidney!**

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" Sidney hissed, done tying the blonde up and ready to lay into her now.

Emma did her best not to show a reaction as the man slapped her across the face, yanking on her hair. If Sidney thought she was already dead maybe he'd leave her alone. There was pain shooting through her injured arm at having it be yanked at an awkward angle, bound behind her back. Her legs were bound at the ankles and just above her knees. At least the vile serpent hadn't taped her mouth shut. This really was getting old. Maybe the city was safer.

Sidney snarled at the woman before him on the ground in the middle of the mine. Anger consuming him at this pathetic excuse for a person his beloved chose as a mate, he lashed out and landed a kick to the woman's left hip. "Good for nothing omega bitch! Regina is mine!" He shoved the sheriff over onto her side. "Regina is worth all the stars in the galaxy, far more than the likes of you should ever have had the honor of experiencing. I know you ran to her like a whore, then rejected her afterwards."

This had Emma's brows furrowing. Rejected… she never rejected Regina. Regina had rejected her. Despite knowing why now, it still hurt and made dating a bit more challenging since that trust was still broken. Regina had really been trying though, making her heart swell, completely unaware that her lips had curled into a smile.

"Waste of space entitled brat!" Sidney delivered another kick to still bruised ribs causing Emma to cry out in pain. "You are unworthy of her! Your own parents didn't even want you. The only reason you replaced Graham as sheriff is because Maya is Regina's best friend. Completely unfit to do a sheriff's job."

"Is this supposed to be some shocking revelation, things I don't know?" Emma rolled her eyes, annoyed at the disgruntled madman. "Regina was never into you. She had a whole lifetime to show otherwise if she was. Who really is the sad, pathetic excuse for a human being? I am not the one hung up on an unrequited love. How do you think Regina's going to respond when she learns what you've done to the mate she chose?"

The reporter scoffed, glaring down at the woman. "With you gone, Regina will realise I am everything she needs in life. I can be strong where you are nothing but weak. I will never abandon her or reject her," he shook his head, looming over the swan. "I can be everything she ever needs."

Green eyes rolled. "I suppose you're going to take it up the ass then?" Emma smirked in amusement at the man's confusion. "Oh, did you think a powerful alpha like Regina was going to be bearing some wimpy beta's child?" The blonde couldn't help but laugh at Sidney's delusional world.

"Enjoy your death down here." Sidney snarled, unwilling to continue this pointless argument with his enemy. Emma Swan would die in these mines, either from lack of oxygen or from a wall collapse, the structure not very stable. Regina would grieve in his arms and then discover him her true mate soon enough.

 **SQSQSQ**

"Lacey?" Regina rushed over as she saw the woman passed out on the shortcut to Emma's house. Carefully she rolled the woman over, relieved to find a pulse. "Lacey, wake up!"

The unconscious woman groaned, her sister-in-law's voice filtering through. "Wha- Regina?" Blinking open her eyes, she came face to face with the mayor. "Where's Emma?"

Regina looked around quickly despite knowing Emma wasn't anywhere around. "Emma was with you? What happened?"

"Sidney Glass… he threw some sort of powder at us and then," Lacey gestured to herself sprawled on the ground. "He had such crazy eyes!"

"Are you injured?" Regina helped Lacey to her feet before tugging her along to the house. "Sarah, Maya, we have a problem!" The mayor followed the muffled voices through the house before coming to the living room where David, Sarah, and Maya were standing over the puppy, tongue lolled out of her mouth.

David spun to glance at his wife's best friend. ""Regina…L-Lacey?"

Regina rolled her eyes, making her way over to the group. "Glass did this. He gave them all something to knock them unconscious."

Dark blue eyes narrowed as Maya stepped into her friend's personal space. "He took Emma." When Regina nodded, Maya roared in rage. Oh this man was going to pay!

Sarah shook her head. How could this be happening to her baby again? Maybe small town Storybrooke would no longer be their home soon. "I'll go track down Glass." She turned to Maya. "You go get Ai. We'll need her assistance." Turning to Regina, she sighed. "Find Emma, you can now smell her the best."

"Where are you going?" Regina's brows furrowed in confusion as the ice cream maker made for the staircase.

"I can't go hunting this town for my daughter in these clothes." Sarah rolled her eyes before stomping the rest of the way upstairs.

Maya stared after her wife before turning back to Regina and Lacey. "She's going to want to move now. Emma had better luck staying safe in the big city."

Regina pulled her friend in for a hug. "We'll find her. Go grab Deputy Zhang. Lacey, go find my sister and start looking." She didn't wait for a response before she was out the door. There was one person in town who would know what happened and where Sidney was holding Emma. It took her several minutes, but she finally stalked through the door to the little shop, hissing at the bell signaling her arrival.

"We're closed."

"You will damn well make time!" Regina stormed towards the muffled voice in the back of the shop, pinning Gold with a glare before becoming confused. He was… mixing a potion? "You dirty little imp!" In a flash she had the man pinned to the wall by his collar leaving him to dangle in the air. "What have you done, Rumple?"

"Who is this Rumple, dearie?" Gold smirked at her before gasping as his oxygen was cut off. "You won't kill me."

Regina pulled him slightly away from the wall only to slam him hard enough to crack the plaster. "Tell me where he took Emma, and don't play dumb or you will wish I had killed you."

Rumple debated the options. Him dead voided his whole purpose in preparing the potion for himself and Belle, the daunting efforts to locate Bae. "Your genie."

"I know the goddam genie, Rumple!" Regina delighted in his struggling now as she continued to deprive him of air. "What did you do? Where is Emma?"

Gold struggled, eyes wide before the mayor allowed him a lungful of air, no doubt to be taken again if he didn't talk. Regina hadn't even shown this level of care for her stable boy. "He didn't say, just asked for poppy powder."

Regina swore to herself. Poppy powder in small doses was good to produce drowsiness. Too much and you could damage the heart and wind up killing someone. It also masked a person's scent. Now she'd have to rely on other means to find her Emma. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty. He was ranting about Emma and somewhere the sun didn't shine." Gold grunted and hissed in pain as he was dropped unceremoniously to the floor, glaring as Regina was already moving towards the door. "Beware, Mills, Once the curse breaks, magic will come. You will not wield all the power anymore!"

Pausing, Regina turned to face the man. "You will still be a beta." Smirking as the man raged at that, she ran out of the shop. There were only a few places in town where the sun didn't shine… the psych ward, which was too public, her vault which was locked up tight, and the mines which was supposed to be blocked off due to its instability. If Sidney was intending to hurt Emma, he'd take her to the mines. Cursing that her car was at home, Regina threw off her heels and ran to the park that housed the entrance.

The caution tape and the boards sealing off the mine were moved. Had she not overseen the installation of them, it could have been easily missed. Reaching out for the tape, the yellow plastic floated off the edge of the entrance and began to flutter wildly in the breeze. Damn Sidney! Ripping off the boards, Regina used her phone's flashlight to guide her through the winding tunnels. "Emma? Emma, are you here? Can you hear me? Emma!"

The mine tunnels were beyond dark. The air became dusty the further in Regina crept. As the overhead clearance became shorter, Regina hoped the damned man hadn't been able to get Emma in too far. "Emma?!"

"Regina?" Emma hoped that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her from lack of oxygen in these damn tunnels. She'd gotten up after a long struggle once Sidney left, trying to navigate the area in the dark. It felt like forever, but without any luck, Emma had dropped to the ground again.

"Emma! Call out again, darling. I'm here!" Regina followed the sweet voice only to crash into a wall. "Emma?"

Emma sighed, dropping her head on the wall closest to Regina's voice. So close, yet so far. Out of all the things she'd been through, Emma never thought a mine would be her end. "Gina."

Regina could hear the defeat in Emma's voice, unsure how long her girlfriend had been down here. "Hold on, Emma. I will find you!" The mayor cursed herself for the pain shooting through the soles of her bare feet on the rough terrain. A few minutes of helpless fumbling in the dark, making Emma talk to her, and she found the tiny cavern Emma had wound up in. Rushing over, she tripped on a rock, sprawling and winding up on top of Emma. "Shit, I'm sorry!"

Emma struggled to breathe, being without fresh oxygen for ages. She was just overjoyed Regina was actually here. "Sidney, h-he," choking on a sob she hadn't realized how scared she was until now.

"Shh, darling. I know." Regina smoothed hair from Emma's face before cupping soft flesh, leaning close to kiss the centre of her forehead, moving to rain kisses over the rest of the gorgeous face beneath her. "Let's get you untied." The mayor quickly going to work on the arm bindings. "Damn it!"

"It's okay. Let's get out of here first." Emma struggled to stand, even with Regina's help. The binds on her legs made any movement but hopping or worm crawling impossible. "Go get help. I'll stay."

The mayor glared, pulling her omega close. "Listen to me dammit! I'm not leaving you behind. Anything could happen. We're in this together!"

Before Emma could reply a loud rumble erupted as the ground shook. Emma's eyes widened, barely able to make out the face before her as the phone dropped and skidded away a few feet. "What-?" The nearby exit to the tunnel began to collapse before the rest of the question could be uttered.

Both Regina and Emma let out distressed cries as their exit disappeared. Regina charged at the opening only to slip in the dark and crack her head against a jagged rock. The mayor felt blood begin to pour from her head as more rocks crashed on top of her.

"Regina, move!" Emma watched in horror as the rocks continued to fall, knowing the brunette was now injured and trapped, their only light from the phone quickly fading out. She wriggled and scooted, ignoring her own pain until she was next to Regina. "Regina, please!"

Hating the sound of her mate in distress, Regina somehow found the strength to pull herself out of the pile of rubble, inching as close as she could manage to Emma, the pain searing through her just everywhere indicating serious injuries. "I'm here, Em."

Emma couldn't help the tears that started leaking down her face. "What do we do?"

"I tell you I love you, and I'm sorry I haven't before now." Regina laughed weakly before coughing, the desire to close her eyes and sleep off the exhaustion creeping up rapidly. "I never win."

"I know you love me, you idiot. Why do you think I put up with your bullshit?" Emma maneuvered so she was laying the same direction as Regina, scooting as close as she could. "Don't you dare die on me!"

Regina tried to focus on Emma's words instead of her life force fading on her. There was no magic here to save her, nothing was going to come save them. Tears falling freely down her face, she leaned forward, mere millimeters from the blonde's face. "I love you, forever my darling." Creeping to close the final distance, bright red lips captured pale pink ones tenderly, both their eyes slipping closed and missing the blinding flash of rainbow sheened light escape and expand outward.

Gold was waiting at the well, uncapped vial ready to pour down the thing to return the magic. As soon as it hit, he was knocked off his feet, glass falling down and crashing to the bottom of the well. As the noxious purple clouds funneled from the old bricks mere minutes later, he cackled in delight. Now to find his Belle so they could leave.

Sarah and Maya had met up, trying to catch whiffs of Regina's scent in order to figure out where the mayor had disappeared to. They were getting desperate when Lucca had chased them down, barking like mad as she sprinted towards the park. The blast of light through them as the reached the mine entrance had the puppy whimpering, knocked off course to her destination.

The snow queen turned to look at her wife, tears in her eyes. All her life she'd been searching to replace her sisters, impatience almost costing her the beautiful creature before her and their daughter…. their daughter who was trapped in the mines. "Maya?"

"It's actually Maleficent, dear, and we can talk after we get our girl." Mal shook her head to try and separate truth and fantasy, struggling to reconcile that Regina gave her such happiness.

"We can't go in there without a gameplan or at least schematics of the mine." Ingrid frowned, frustrated and upset she couldn't save her girl this time… and then the purple fog washed over her, sending tingling, much like enhanced pins and needles. through her entire body. Her magic was back!

Mal smirked as her powers returned, thanking the fates that be for such a gift right now. "You get our girl. I'm going to hunt down a certain genie." She leaned in and kissed her wife, her wife, before poofing away.

Ingrid felt giddy, like their first date all over again. Shaking it off, she focused hard and soon her daughter and the mayor were at her feet. A flick of her wrist and Emma's bindings were removed.

"Regina!" Emma gasped as her mate lay unresponsive on the grass, blood still sticky and oozing from her head. Carefully cupping the woman's face, she yelped as a bright white light began to glow from her hands. "Mom?"

"It's magic, my Emma." Ingrid bent down next to her daughter, pride swelling in her chest at the fact Emma finally had her magic. "You're healing her. Keep going."

Emma had no idea what the hell she was doing as she tried to concentrate on bringing Regina back to her. Magic? She had magic? Magic was real and apparently she and her mothers had it? Her own head throbbed as she tried to process it all.

Regina was groggy, unsure what was going on, but she felt magic, strong, pure magic mending her internal injuries, the jolt of power felt exquisite.

Not wanting to be left out, Lucca bound forward, pleased to see her mistress, bouncing all around her, licking everywhere she could causing Emma to laugh and Regina to snarl in disgust. Normally Lucca hated anyone getting close to her mistress.

Across town Lacey and Lena were trying to find Regina when the blast of light hit them. Belle blinked a few times before looking in fear at the sudden stranger before her. "Lena?"

"Lace,." Zelena was suddenly on edge, waiting for her world to be ripped from her. Lacey, Belle, belonged to the bloody imp, no matter what this false world had given her, Belle was about to take it all away from her.

Before Belle could voice any of the thoughts streaming through her head, both were enveloped in a ghastly purple cloud. When it dissipated, both were standing just before the town line, Rumple waiting for them, suitcase in hand.

"My Belle." Rumple moved forward, doing his best to ignore Zelena. "Come, I've made a potion so we can leave this place, start over, and find my son."

Belle reared back, pleased and surprised to find Zelena's warm embrace coming around her. "I'm not yours, Rumple. I don't wish to leave or to find your son. Lena and I are staying here. I love her."

Zelena's heart burst at the news. Belle, her Lacey, was choosing to stay with her instead of going back to the Dark One! Leaning down, she nuzzled at her mark on the brunette's neck.

"Don't be silly, Belle. You don't love her, it wasn't real." Gold stepped forward, glaring at the red head. "Zelena, the Wicked Witch, probably doesn't even love you. I have my powers now. Together we can leave, become a family again with my son."

"This isn't about having your powers, Rumple. I've always hated you chose power over love. I don't care about some child you threw away. I'll never matter more than your son or your powers." Belle turned to find blue eyes smiling down at her. "Alpha or beta, I know Lena loves me. I choose her."

Rumple snarled, ready to force Belle with him. "She is a Mills, and Mills women are incapable of love. They only know how to destroy, evil."

Belle scoffed. "Rich coming from the man responsible for them being that way." She waved her hand dismissively before leaning back into her alpha. "I still choose her."

Zelena shot her magic out at the imp as he moved to snatch her love from her, whatever red vial he was holding smashing into the street below them as the man flew over the line.

Both women stepped forward to watch in confused awe as the imp hobbled around confused, muttering about his son and a crazed witch. The brunette turned to 'the witch' with concern in her eyes. "He's forgotten who he is completely."

"Probably for the better. The Dark One is no more. At least he cannot hurt you anymore." Zelena suddenly became uncertain, staring at the woman before her intently. "You really choose me?"

"Of course!" Belle moved forward to embrace the tall woman. "I may have to get to know who you were, but I know my Lena, and I love you. You would have let me go if I chose to. I do believe we have to save your sister now."

Zelena couldn't believe the woman before her was even real. No one had wanted her for her, not her mother, not her adoptive parents… she wasn't even sure Regina wanted her, but this magnificent creature did. Sweeping Belle up in her arms, they disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

 **SQSQSQ**

Snow choked as the curse broke. She wasn't a teenage mother of a baby she'd had to give up because her affair with a married man. Her daughter, her Emma, was here… here and dating the mayor, Regina, her nemesis. Her daughter she couldn't find a connection to in order to save her life. Oh but now she had to find her husband, to help everyone trapped here figure out where their families were.

"Snow!" David found his wife, well his real wife, wandering the streets looking distraught and a mess, like she'd been crying before they woke. Then he remembered what life the curse had given her, the life it had given him.

"Snow, Prince James!"

The royal couple was soon surrounded by their subjects demanding answers, people in panic about who they were now, how they were going to find their families, demanding blood and justice. People were scrambling around like madmen, chickens without heads as if they'd suddenly forgotten the twenty plus years on how to function in Storybrooke. It had taken a few hours to organize everyone, Snow, Charming, Ruby, and Blue doing their best to quell the mob.

"Off with the Queen's head!"

Snow just rolled her eyes at the chorus of agreements that followed. As much as she personally needed words with Regina for how she'd suffered, Snow recognized the changes in the woman since… "No!"

"No?" Charming turned to his wife.

Leroy shook his fist. "Someone must pay! The queen cursed us! Death to her majesty!"

"I said NO!" Snow stood up, quieting the crowd immediately. "Regina cast this curse, yes, but no one lost anything but me. I suffered, not you. Regina gave you all equal footing, self sufficiency in this town, our town. No royalty, no poverty, just skills and intelligence. Many of you didn't even know how to read in the Enchanted Forest. Think of all we have here now."

"No, Sistah, someone must pay!" Leroy couldn't believe his ears that Snow of all people wasn't demanding the queen's head on a spike.

Snow glared him down. "Let us figure things out before we have blood." Her face softened, thinking of the newborn her daughter once was and then to the gorgeous woman she is now. "Besides, my daughter has found love in the mayor. All Regina has ever wanted was happiness, and Emma seems to be it. If we wish for blood, how about the men who have attacked her, the pirates who intended to rape and kill her."

The crowd shuddered. The whole town knew what the sheriff had endured, and now to know the blonde was their princess, uproar started again, most marching off to find the pirates in order to get their blood while Grumpy surged forward, unhappy. "The queen must face consequences."

Ingrid stepped forward, helping Emma and Regina despite the magic healing them. Both were still weak and exhausted. "They already have."

Charming wished he had a sword to pull right now, stepping in front of Snow in case the Evil Queen got any ideas. "Witch, step no further."

Regina rolled her eyes, anger flaring. Before she could snap at the man though, Emma placed a hand on her forearm, a light kiss pressed to her cheek.

"We have both suffered enough. In this world the law is different. No crime has been committed by the mayor, and since I'm the law, I suggest you shut up before you find yourself in a cell." Emma glared the short man down before eyeing Mary Margaret and David.

David surged forward, crushing Emma in a hug, not noticing how stiff and uncomfortable the sheriff was. "Emma!"

"Please release my daughter. She's been through an ordeal and needs rest." Ingrid knew the beta was just itching for a fight now at her claim, but she was undeterred. Turning to the former princess, she addressed Snow White. "The genie, my wife is hunting him right now. He left Emma in the mines to perish. I would find him for your justice before he exists no more."

"I am Emma's father, Snow her mother. Who the hell are you?" David stepped towards the strange blonde only to have the mutt he'd unknowingly given his daughter a short while ago surge forward, snarling at him.

Snow walked forward, placing a hand on her husband's arm as Emma quickly retreated from them. "We haven't been her parents in a long time. Emma has claimed her. We must respect that."

The man growled. "The hell I will! We are her parents!" David wished he could take on the alpha, but it'd be certain death. How he and Snow were simple betas he didn't understand. "Emma, please, I'm your father."

Emma shrugged, stepping closer to Regina, snuggling into her side. "You may be why I'm here, but Sarah and Maya are my moms… or whatever their true names are. I am not giving them up just because you claim DNA."

Snow gave a resigned nod. She had always hoped her daughter would break the curse and fall into their arms ready and willing to be their perfect little princess, to let them care for her, but she never accounted for the person Emma would grow to be without them, that she might not need them once the curse had broken. "We understand. Regina knows where I live when you're ready."

Regina was shocked Snow had given in so easily. No fight, no tears, nothing. It was bewildering to see the princess just surrender the daughter she'd spent twenty three years crying over. It demanded answers… after she and Emma had recovered. Nodding at Snow and her shepherd, the mayor poofed herself, Emma, Sarah, and the puppy to the blondes' home for much needed rest. The rest of the town could mob and rage, so easily swayed and eager to follow, especially in the conquest of blood. This is why nearly all were betas. The pirates and her former genie were looking at a world of hurt.


	15. Chapter 15

Maleficent poofed herself to the genie's hideout only to find the man curled up in the corner of… ooh Regina was going to murder him for violating her father's mausoleum. "Genie," she spat as she stalked forward.

"She deserved it. Regina is _mine!"_ Sidney dared to meet the sorceress's gaze. "How can you love the daughter of your enemy? You've betrayed your best friend!"

"My best friend _chose_ my daughter to love, to be her mate. Emma may not be my blood, but she chose me, chose her other mother, to be her parents. Regardless of her blood, Sarah and I are her mothers." A smirk graced suddenly sharp features as blue eyes narrowed on the man. "Do you know what dragons do when someone messes with our family?" Mal delighted in the genie's whimper. "We eat them."

Sidney's scream didn't even have time to leave his throat before he was snatched up by the sorceress. If his fate was to go out by the dragon, at least he would die defending and fighting for his love. Without his powers, all the man could do was watch wide eyed in horror as the blonde shifted into her beast, far larger than he ever remembered or expected, sharp, protruding fangs dripping saliva down his fresh suit.

Mal grimaced at the bitter taste of stale, sour magic as she chomped down on the genie, tossing him around much like a dog would to a tug rope. She was thoroughly enjoying his screams and whimpers, toying with her kill a bit. She hadn't expected a mob with pitchforks and fire to come at her. Snarling, she flung her tail around, taking out the first few dozen or so.

"By order of Queen Snow White, you are to release this man to face due punishment by the town."

The dragon rolled her eyes, carelessly tossing Sidney up into the air again, letting him drop to the hard, unforgiving ground instead of catching him in her teeth. Shifting back, Maleficent glared as the prince charged forward before stopping short.

David knew any closer and the dragon would roast him alive. Cautiously he raised his hands in the air. "He will pay for what he's done to Emma. Do not kill him."

Both glanced down to the bloody, immobile man. With a huff, Mal healed the genie just enough to be able to face trial, picking the sniveling excuse for a human up and throwing him into the prince's arms. "Fine, but If justice is not served, I will be coming back to end him." Dark eyes narrowing even further as the insipid princess Snow burst through the crowd.

"Oh, he's alive." Snow let her shoulders slump, a little disappointed the dragon lady hadn't ended the genie already. Looking up, she winced at the fury in the older blonde's eyes. "Emma's asking for you."

Lifting her chin and scoffing, Mal threw her hands up, disappearing in a cloud of smoke to reappear in her living room where her daughter was curled up on the couch with Sarah, Regina, and… Mal groaned. "What is the dog doing on the couch?"

Lucca growled, wriggling on Emma's lap ready to lunge in order to protect her master. Emma just patted the fuzzy head, snuggling closer to Sarah. "Mom's been telling me about her old…," her features scrunched up in confusion before looking to her mom, "her other life. Are you two going to stay together?"

"Emma," Mal could see the struggle behind green eyes so she crouched down to be level with her daughter. "I fell in love with Sarah. Given that I never met her in the Enchanted Forest, I'm sure we will have a lot to talk about and share with each other, but I am not about to give you or her up for anything, not even your birth parents."

Emma scrunched her nose up and shook her head. "I don't want them. They threw me away. Instead of keeping me, they made a choice and I've made mine. They hurt you and Regina. That's not what heroes do, not what _good_ people do. Mom tried to keep me, she kept in touch all this time, welcomed me here. _You_ welcomed me despite me being bratty. You both saved me every time I needed. Regina," Emma turned to smile at the woman, tears coming to the corners of her eyes at the love she had for her little family now, "she wants me, came to save me. I don't feel… well anything really when I'm with Mary Margaret. David, the way he charged at me and tried to take me from Mom…"

Ingrid hummed, wrapping her arms more securely around Emma, inhaling her scent. "It's alright, sweet girl. You don't have to bond with them, or even talk to them if you don't wish to. I think you might have questions that only they can answer, and that's okay. Maya," Ingrid looked up at her wife, "Maleficent, and I will always be here for you."

"Regina." Maleficent turned to her friend, eyes narrowing as her brain connected who Regina was to who she is now. Definitely warranted more than a few talks to ensure her best friend didn't treat her girl like her previous bedmates. Before she could say anything else, the brunette cut her off.

"I know you're going to give me the overprotective mother speech." Regina leaned forward and hugged her friend before settling back next to Emma. "We had an understanding about courting Em properly. I still intend to."

Emma rolled her eyes, trying to digest all the fairytale shit. "Didn't we just make some sort of voodoo rainbow shimmer blast thing that broke your curse because you found love again? Are those dumb rules really necessary?" A chorus of 'yes' had Emma pouting, Lucca whining at her distress and leaning up to lick her face.

Regina couldn't help but chuckle at the pout, tapping the tip of Emma's nose. "Courting is a very serious thing back in the forest. We already agreed establishing our relationship before the next heat is important to us both." She sighed heavily before glancing at Mal. "Besides, now that the curse is broken, all hell is breaking loose. You still have to learn of my… less than stellar past and decide if I'm still your choice."

"You're Regina, mayor of Storybrooke, and my mate." Emma shrugged, brows furrowing. "So you did some bad shit. That was what, like thirty years ago? If Mary Margaret can recognize how much you gave everyone, I don't see why others won't. People have love, jobs, housing, toilets, hot food at a moment's notice, electricity…. Doesn't sound like a curse to me."

Ingrid looked up at her wife, smiling at her fortune. "Indeed, but the distinction is black and white where we come from, Emmie. There's no grey area like this world. It will take time for everyone to adjust and settle back down." Patting Emma's thigh, she slowly stood up. "You, however, have been through yet another ordeal. I can see the exhaustion you're trying to fight. Go on upstairs and nap."

"But…" Emma couldn't help but frown, looking over to Regina, not wanting anyone she loved out of her sight right now.

Mal sighed, helping Emma to her feet after she got Lucca off her daughter's lap. "Regina too," she glared as the women both perked up. "Just this once, and absolutely no funny business. Sleep!"

The older blondes watched as Emma and Regina helped each other up the stairs. Despite their magical healing, today had worn them both completely out. Hell, magic coming back after being dormant for so long had Ingrid and Mal exhausted, but they both wanted to talk before letting sleep claim them.

 **SQSQSQ**

 _Knock, knock, knock._ Snow sighed as the pounding on her door grew more insistent. "Alright, I'm coming. Some patience please." Tightening her sweater around her slim waist, Snow gasped in surprise at the two women on the other side of her door. "Oh."

Sarah raised a brow. "We need to talk. May we come in?"

"Oh! Oh, yes, of course." Snow moved back to usher them inside before flitting over to the stove. "Would you like some tea? Water? I think I might have juice somewhere too."

"No, thank you." Mal smiled at her wife as a tender hand was placed on the small of her back while they walked to the kitchen table together.

Snow busied herself making tea if only to avoid facing the blondes for a bit longer. Fidgeting with her mug as she waited for the water to boil, she studied the women her daughter now called mom. "How's Emma?"

Sarah frowned, watching the curiosity spark in green eyes. "Emma is with Regina."

Sighing, Snow reluctantly made her way to the table, tea securely in her hands as she watched the women eye her warily. "I won't take Emma from you."

"How uncharacteristically generous of you. I wonder why I don't believe you." Mal shifted in her chair, back straight as she stared down at the woman across from her.

"Maleficent," Snow sighed and finally met the other woman's gaze.

Mal raised a brow. "It's Maya. Maleficent is retired."

Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Snow sipped her tea before nodding. "Maya, Emma has lost enough already. She doesn't want anything to do with me or with David. Should she choose to come talk to me, I'll answer her questions, but Emma chose you both. I won't have her resent me for taking you away from her. I lost my daughter the moment we agreed to build that wardrobe."

Maya wasn't buying it. "And your prince shares this belief?"

Shrugging, Snow looked away across the apartment. "He… doesn't agree, says we need to fight you for Emma. David doesn't see how much Emma needs you two. I tried to explain, but I'm not sure he wants to listen. All he wants is the tiny princess he dropped in the wardrobe."

"And you don't?" Sarah couldn't understand this woman. Twenty three years of mourning, and now she's just let it go, like Emma means nothing to her.

"I do, I wish Emma wanted me, but we all know she doesn't." The brunette shrugged, looking at each woman in turn. "Emma grew up in the time she was away. She never got the chance to be a princess. I don't know anything about her personally. I birthed her, and I will always mourn her loss, but it was my own fault. I let her go instead of holding on tightly. We could have battled the curse together. I made the mistake and I'm living with it. David, he can't live with that. He went back to his wife here because I refuse to lead an army to win Emma back."

Maya rolled her eyes. Of course the fake prince would be all gung ho to play with his sword. There was no way he was getting anywhere near Emma if her daughter didn't wish it. "Seems even true love can be broken."

"What does he plan to do? Emma's been hurt enough in her life, especially in Storybrooke alone." Sarah started to get antsy, ready to go back to Emma and be able to protect her should the need arise. "Regina's in no position right now to fend off a mob."

Snow sighed and Maya's eyes narrowed as she squeezed her wife's hand. "A problem with my Emma and Regina together?"

Snow immediately shook her head, meeting the blue eyes glaring daggers at her. "No, absolutely not. I mean, a little, since I know what she's capable of. But I was partly responsible for taking Daniel from her, it's only fitting that I return love to her. Regina, when she chooses, has the greatest capacity for love I've ever known, and they must love each other if they broke such a powerful curse."

Sarah could only nod, leaning into her wife's side. "Regina and Emma, they're a work in progress, but they do love each other."

Maya stood up, ready to leave. She spun back around halfway to the door. "How could you just throw Emma away and then not want to get to know the beautiful young woman she is now? Emma is smart and funny, strong willed and honest, loyal, brave… she's everything a true princess should be," she glared down at the shorter woman hunched over at the table. "Everything _you_ should strive for."

"I'm sure." Snow winced as fury flooded the dragon's eyes. She knew all too well what the flash of neon green meant. "If Emma would like to get to know me or has questions about lineage I'd be more than happy to talk to her, but I won't take her from you or insist she address me as mom. That is for you and your wife."

Sarah was torn by the woman's reaction. How could a mother just give up a chance at the child she'd spent decades grieving over? How could someone not want to fight for a beautiful soul like her Emma? She was grateful there'd be no fight, but hurt on Emma's behalf. With a sigh, she got up and followed her wife, the beta still not meeting their eyes or following them out. With their talk to Snow done, they had to go confront Charming before making sure to talk to each other about their past, their futures here.

 **SQSQ**

"I just…," Emma raked a hand through her hair before spinning away from the horse to stare at her mothers. "You took care of me, made me feel safe and loved and wanted, and now I'm supposed to believe you were both villains in this other world you came from? Villains can't love. That's like the whole definition here."

"Oh, Em." Sarah moved forward, pulling Emma into her arms as her girl cried.

"N-no, like I mean I know evil is made, not born, but how can you be evil? I don't get it. The creepy reporter, the pirates, Graham… them I can see, but not you two."

Maya smiled at those words, relaxing just a bit as she joined the hug, ignoring Lucca's incessant yaps. "Your mom and I would never hurt you, not even back in the Enchanted Forest. I'm sure Celeste wouldn't mind if you took a break from grooming to talk…if you wanted."

Emma nodded, breaking free to pat the horse's neck, whispering promises to return before scooping up the grooming tools and placing them in Celeste's box. "Fairytales, really?"

Sarah could help but laugh. "They're only fairytales in this realm. In our realm there were no such things. We are just people, but here we are myths. You are a princess in both worlds."

"Awww, Mom!" Emma pretended to be embarrassed as her mom kissed her cheek. "So I could go to Disney and totally come home with your stuff?"

"Not if you know what's good for you." Maya raised a brow, smirking a bit so Emma knew she was teasing….kind of. "The closest you'll ever get to your mom is Elsa. They haven't really discovered the 'Snow Queen' yet."

Sarah rolled her eyes at being compared to Disney's ice princess. "We can't all be as famous as Maleficent."

Emma's jaw dropped, studying the tall blonde sitting on the top of a hay bale. No way this was an evil villain. "Whoa!"

"I'm not going to hurt yo-"

"I love that movie!" Emma couldn't help bouncing around in excitement which had Lucca dancing around her feet and barking, equally excited. "Are you a dragon? So you can really magic with green smoke? Who is Aurora here?"

Maya laughed, pulling her daughter into her arms. "Calm down, Emma!" She waited until Emma stopped wriggling around. "I can shift into a dragon, so nothing like the movie where I have some scrawny servant boy do my dirty work. Your mother and I both have magic, so do you and Regina, Rumple and the fairies."

Jaw dropping open again, Emma gasped. "Fairies? They're real?"

"Little gnat things who decide themselves who is worthy of wishes or not." Sarah shook her head in disgust. "They get their magic from diamond dust, it's not real, not like ours."

"Aurora in this world is April." Maya laughed when Emma scrunched her nose up. "I did put her under a sleeping curse once upon a time, her mother too, for taking my love away from me, for their kingdom ravaging my lands and ruining the magic there." She sighed, not wanting to relive such sore spots.

Emma hugged her mom. "April is so annoying. Ugh, figures she'd be a princess. What does this mean for you two though? Are you Maya or Mal?" Emma turned to her other mother. "Mom?"

Sarah sighed and shifted closer, patting her girl's knee. "I was Ingrid, queen of Arendelle, oldest of three sisters. Our bond got broken, and I lost them, and froze the entire kingdom in my grief. I would much prefer to be Sarah Fisher, ice cream shop owner, wife to Maya Croft, and mother to you, Em."

"While I don't mind people calling me Mal, I would prefer to be Maya as well." Maya squeezed the slim hand in hers, smiling over at her wife. "We've found happiness here, with each other, with you. It will take a long time for people to reconcile having two lives in their heads, that how they saw certain people because others said so isn't necessarily true. We don't want you hurt in any of this. While Sarah isn't known as Ingrid the Snow Queen, I am obviously a known villain, despite no one actually knowing me."

Emma's face fell, staring at her hands. "Someone in the group with the shelter owner that came today said Regina killed a whole village, kids included. Is that true?"

"Unintentionally." Regina crept slowly into the barn, trepidation all over her face. "I was trying to find Snow, and the village was harboring her. When I was her… the Evil Queen, I was such a different person. My guards took liberties and slaughtered the entire village, claiming it was my order." Tears welled in her eyes. "I'd never hurt a child, though. Ever!"

Emma's brows furrowed as she tried to piece things together. "Why do these people condemn you for lives lost but not Mar-Snow a-and Charming?" The names tasted foreign and stuck on her tongue. She couldn't believe that the mother she'd longed for her whole life was her least favorite Disney princess.

Maya squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her daughter. "Black and white, dear. Everyone forgives actions done in the name of good, regardless if they're the same actions taken by someone else. They see us as evil, so our actions are always reprehensible and warrant punishment while the heroes are above all sin and wrongdoing."

"That's not fair!" Emma turned to her love who looked positively awash with guilt and shame. "Their hands are just as dirty. Why do you hate her? What is the real story because you're much prettier?"

Regina couldn't help a sardonic laugh that bubbled from deep in her chest. "Vanity, Disney reduced me to vanity." Shaking her head, she waited until Maya and Sarah excused themselves to Celeste's stall before scooting closer. "You've heard Daniel's name before."

"He's real?" Emma felt like she was grasping at straws between what she knew before and what was true now. When Regina nodded, she sighed. "So this Daniel was your love...r?"

"Just my first love." Regina met confused, curious green eyes. "We never got a chance to be lovers. Daniel was the stable boy, my first love. Mother, she had plans for me to be greater than some peasant's wife. She wanted me to be queen, to her former beau before I was even born no less." She shared Emma's shudder. "Your… Snow told my mother about Daniel and I, apparently in the naive hope she would allow us to be together, but-"

Emma moved to wrap her arms around Regina. "Your mother wasn't going to let that happen."

Shaking her head, Regina snuggled in closer, arms pulling Emma closer. "Absolutely not. She killed him and then forced me to marry the king, Snow's father. While he wasn't purposely cruel to me, he did expect certain wifely duties. It's hard to fill the shoes of a ghost, and when I wasn't under him, I was ignored, shunned. He and Snow would run off on travels together, hold festivities without caring if I was in attendance or not. My mother made sure I had no choice but to stay in such a soul sucking marriage until I found a way to end him."

"You waited until Mary Margaret was an adult before going after her for telling your mom." Emma sighed, emitting calming pheromones for her distraught alpha. "Things are grey here. Snow, Mary Margaret, she's on your side now. You gave everyone a much better life with the curse, gave people happiness and things far beyond reach in the other world. They're not the same people they were there either. It's going to work out."

Regina shook her head, not believing the words coming out of her mate's mouth. "You don't know the half of what I've done, the number of people I killed or tortured, what I did to-"

The blonde started gently rocking back and forth, quieting the mayor. "Whatever you did, it was to survive. The people made you into the Evil Queen. Survival is a skill not for the weak hearted. Everyone has done shit they're not proud of, shit they'll have to live with, but it doesn't have to consume you, doesn't have to be all you are anymore. Being Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke, no longer has to mean we never acknowledge your past, but we aren't going to dwell on it. I love you, the good, bad, ugly, slightly congested and getting snot on my shirt."

"Hey!" Regina joined in Emma's laughter, pulling back to accept the tissue offered. "I, I don't know how to separate it. Neither will the townspeople."

"Time. Nothing will happen overnight. I don't know anyone's former life, but I know about shitty pasts and that they can stay in the past. I think a good start to reminding people you're no longer the Evil Queen, because you are still a queen, is to help people calm down and figure things out together."

Maya watched Emma comfort and calm Regina effortlessly. They truly were mates, and it was nice to see such happiness in her girls. Pulling her wife close, she kissed a platinum blonde covered temple. "You could show me this big city of yours."

"Not unless you wish to permanently lose your former self." Zelena burst into the barn, nose scrunching at the smell as Belle snuggled close.

Regina immediately popped up, studying her sister, her actual sister! Perhaps her mother did leave her one terrific thing. "What do you mean? I am surprised Rumple hasn't come after Belle."

Belle shuddered, clinging tighter to Zelena. "He did, but I chose my wife. Lacey or Belle, I love her, and he couldn't accept that."

Smiling at the pair before turning serious, Regina raised a brow waiting for an answer. "Well, what happened? You're both clearly still alive."

"I defeated him." Zelena grinned causing Regina's eyes to widen in horror.

"Please tell me you didn't kill him!" Regina walked around her sister, examining the pair for signs of darkness. "If you kill him you're the new Dark One. I won't have it!"

Rolling her eyes, Zelena grabbed Regina's wrist as the brunette kept her frantic pacing. "Relax, Sis. His memory potion backfired and he went over the town line. Bloody imp has no clue who he is, nor can he see us. He is… gone."

The group stood in silence for a few minutes taking it all in. The Dark One was no more. Rumple… or Mr. Gold was now in the real world with no memory of his past life or where Storybrooke was. Everyone so far seemed content and wished to stay with their partners. Emma couldn't honestly find a downside in this.

"We need to go inform the town. I'm sure there's more than a few eager wandering souls itching to leave." Sarah knew there was a lot of work to be done in the coming months, and Regina wasn't going to be able to do it alone. Everyone was going to have to pull together and assist wherever, however they could.


	16. Chapter 16

Taking a deep breath, Emma walked into the conference room at City Hall. Regina had offered to schedule her for private use of the room for an hour after she'd expressed wanting to ask questions to her birth parents in a neutral place. It had taken her a week to work up the nerve to meet with… Snow and 'Charming'. Despite being able to work through the rest of Storybrooke being Fairytale characters, because honestly who else would reside in a town with such a name, Emma couldn't reconcile her own birth parents being iconic Disney characters.

"Emma!"

The young blonde jumped and spun around, nearly losing her footing in the process at the brash man's bellow. Emma couldn't help but seize up remembering David's shouting as he stormed her home not too long ago. "Please sit down."

Snow could see her daughter's trepidation and tugged Charming's arm until they were seated at the conference table. "Thank you for meeting with us, Emma. I-"

"I didn't do it for you." Emma stayed by the window, standing just across from the two, table as barrier. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked between the two. Her eyes definitely came from Mary Margaret, but otherwise there was no resemblance. Unfortunately she very much looked like the prince. "I have questions and I want answers. I'm not changing my mind about who my parents are."

Snow nodded while David's rage flared to life. He stood up, hands slamming the table. "We," he gestured between himself and Snow, "are your parents. _We_ created you. Why do you insist some witch and a dragon villain are what's best for you?"

Emma growled, eyes narrowing at the man as her chin raised. "You may have created me, but you also threw me away in the hopes I would save you when I was an adult. Neither of you had any idea where I would end up or how my life would be between being born and coming to save people I didn't even know. You're no better than the foster parents that abused me."

"We knew you'd make it back to us alive. We were told by Rumpelstiltskin." Snow honestly hadn't given much thought to Emma's life in growing up, the consequences she'd face because of their decision to send her away and avoid Regina's curse. "It's no consolation, but I am so sorry, Emma. Neither of us thought about the interim."

"Of course you didn't." Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You cried every day for twenty three years over a child you threw into a tree to some unknown land on the word of a demon that I'd be alright. I thought I needed answers from you two as to where I came from, but there's nothing either of you can provide."

David had no clue how his child could talk to him like this, choose to live with villains instead of heroes. He definitely couldn't fathom how Snow just willingly gave Emma up. "We are your parents, heroes! You are a hero! Why do you insist on this silly game of picking the villains?" He spun to glare at Snow. "This is _your_ fault, your DNA at work. You _liked_ Regina so you never killed her when you had the chance."

Snow scoffed. "Your mother gave your twin to the Dark One in a deal to keep her farm knowing he would be raised by one of the most corrupt kings of the time. _You_ took his place when he was murdered. Enjoying the dark side is not only on me!"

"You two disgust me!" Emma smirked when both sets of eyes refocused on her. "You're not heroes just because you say so. Just as much blood stains your hands as it does anyone else's. War, greed, gluttony… a royal's crimes aren't just washed away because you declare it in the name of good. Regina only has her moniker because _you_ said so. She killed a man who broke her spirit and destroyed her soul. Grief does strange, uncharacteristic things to people." The sheriff looked pointedly at Mary Margaret. "You of all people should know. A lifetime of abuse, emotional manipulation, grief and a broken heart… I'm honestly surprised she didn't kill you both many times over. The fact she didn't is true testimony that her soul isn't dark. Regina isn't evil. You both tortured her, taunted her as much as she did you. And going after Maleficent…. I would much rather be considered a villain than sit on an unrealistic pedestal of 'good'. I've never met a group of people more simple minded…. Just because someone blurts something out of their mouth doesn't make it gospel truth."

The pair sat there and listened, self righteous anger radiating off David while defeat and acceptance wafted off Snow, enraging the prince that much more. "She killed Graham here, not to mention the thousands of lives she destroyed! Of course Regina is evil! How can you sit here and listen to our daughter spew such vile lies? Tell her the truth!"

"She's not wrong, David." Snow flinched slightly at her husband's temper. "I was a spoiled, entitled little girl who couldn't keep a secret. I enjoyed the games as much as Regina, seeing who could come out on top of the battle, knowing the war was unwinnable. Regina needed love, caring, acceptance… things I had a chance to give and denied her all while convincing everyone she was the evil one. Magic, while terrifying, doesn't automatically mean evil. We were just as wrong, made as many mistakes." She turned to David. "You are a farm boy, not a prince. We never considered grown Emma coming back to us. For some silly reason we both expected malleable, impressionable child Emma coming back so we could raise her into who we wanted. Our child is standing right there." Snow pointed towards Emma, staring at her husband. "She's grown and a complete person all her own we had no part in raising. I will never stop loving my child, but we laid our child to rest the minute she was born and _we_ let her go. Graham, the Huntsman, he tried to force himself on our daughter. If Regina hadn't ended him, I certainly would have put an arrow between his eyes."

David slammed his palms against the table, refusing to accept this. "No! Emma doesn't just get to choose new parents. We are her parents. We fought to give her what we thought was her best chance. I am a hero, and will not have you tell me otherwise." He glared at Emma before turning back to Snow. "This is why I stayed with Kathryn. The woman I fell in love with was obviously left in the Enchanted Forest. I will never stop fighting for my daughter and what I know to be right and true."

Emma just shook her head. "And you will lose. I am not yours." Both ladies jumped as the door slammed behind David's hasty exit. With a sigh she turned to Mary Margaret. "How does Snow White end up with Prince Charming? Everyone knows Prince Charming is Cinderella's beau while Prince Florian marries Snow."

"We are not fairytales or movies, Emma." Snow just chuckled and shook her head. "Disney referred to every prince without a name as Charming, which fits your father. His name is David, but David is a farm boy, son to the sweetest woman, Ruth, you'd ever hope to meet next to my own mother, Eva." She paused hoping Emma clung on to those names and would ask later if curious. "When his brother died, King George forced him to step into James's shoes. David lost who he was, and when we met he was anything but Charming. It used to be our joke."

"I'm sorry he's a douche, but thank you for letting me go. My moms, they love me. I need them." Emma smiled as Regina stood in the door frame, worry and concern etched on her face. "Regina."

Snow watched her daughter move swiftly around the table to embrace her former enemy. She knew it was unlikely to ever get on with Regina again, but it was more than rewarding to see Emma and Regina together. She snapped back to present as the pair made to leave. "Regina?" The mayor turned to stare at the woman, brow raised. "Do you love her?"

Regina tucked Emma in closer to the safety of her body. "More than you'll ever know."

"Take care of her." Snow let out a little sigh, knowing she had no right to ask anything of the woman, but Emma was, will always be, her flesh and blood. While the overprotective mom speech was reserved for Mal… no, Maya and Sarah, now, she still cared and hoped Regina finally got it right.

Giving a curt nod, Regina turned and walked towards her office, Emma tucked into her side. It felt too anticlimactic an end to her decades long feud with Snow White, but there were more important things to live for now. Emma gave her light, joy, _love._ She was her everything now, and she was never letting go again!

 **SQSQSQ**

"Will you stop staring at it?" Regina teased her fiancé as the light from the ring glinted across her face again. "It's not going anywhere."

Emma shivered as Regina ran her fingertips down the length of her sweat-sheened spine. "I know, but I like looking at it. It's mine!" She wriggled and readjusted herself half on top of her naked mate, goosebumps breaking out as Regina kept stroking her skin. She was torn between staring at the ring nestled soundly on her left ring finger and the bite mark situated proudly over Regina's heart. The latter won out and her hand instantly went to the mark, her fingers softly caressing over the ridges. "Do you regret it?" She whispered, her eyes trained on the bite mark, analyzing every detail.

Regina covered the inquisitive hand with one of her own and brought delicate fingers to her lips, pressing soft kisses into the digits. "Never," Regina whispered, "I could never regret this. I know that I hurt you when I didn't let you return the bite the first time, and that is the only part of this situation that I regret, that you were hurt, emotionally and physically because of me."

"It's alright," Emma told her. "It all worked out the way it was meant to. I wouldn't trade this, everything that has happened for anything."

"Are you sure?" Regina questioned, "Even if what I did, what I didn't do, you ended up hurt, nearly-"

"Regina, shhhh," the blonde calmed, placing a finger over Regina's lips. "It's alright, that wasn't your fault, it was theirs, not yours. And I think that everything that happened, it's made our relationship stronger, we've already been to hell and back. And who's to say things would've played out the same way afterwards, with the curse breaking and all that. I'm getting to know new sides of my parents, and they're getting to know each other, and I'm learning about a whole new side of you."

Regina glanced away from the green eyes in front of her. "I'm not proud of that part of myself."

"The Evil Queen?" At Regina's nod, Emma continued, "I think it's hot really."

"Wh-what?"

Emma smirked, "It's hot, all of that dark makeup, the evil queen persona, all of that dominance and power, mhmmm, so hot…" Those last words were low and _wet_ as she breathed them into Regina's ear, causing the older woman to shiver.

"Not now darling, definitely not ready to go after, what was it, four rounds after I proposed?"

"Five," Emma replied, "If you count the orgasm I had as you pulled out." Regina swallowed but held firm causing Emma to pout. "Fine, fine," she huffed, sliding off of Regina. She snuggled into the woman's side, and pressed her head on her shoulder over her heart and tossed a leg over Regina's waist. Regina shifted to press herself more fully into the younger woman, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to bring her even closer. She could feel her skin tingling wherever it touched Emma's, and it made Regina wondered if this was what it was like, to be truly happy and in love with someone, her happy ending.

"What do you think about when you think of the future?" Emma's voice broke her out of her thoughts, causing Regina to turn her attention to the woman.

"What?"

"What do you think about when you think of the future?" Emma repeated, "You know, your dreams, wishes, fantasies."

Regina hummed as she thought about Emma's question, her mind mulling over all of the different goals she's ever had for her future. "When I was younger," she started, "I wanted nothing more than a simple life with the person I loved, a cottage somewhere with a stable and horses. I wanted a family of my own, people to take care of and love, who would love me in return." She was distracted a bit by the impossibly soft skin under her fingers and she turned her head to press her nose into golden hair, inhaling the pure scent of sex, sweat, and something wholly Emma. "Then, as the Evil Queen," she continued, still pressed close to her mate, "All I thought about was revenge; everything I did was consumed with the desire for revenge on Snow White, but really, it was just a different way for me to go after my own happiness, and destroying everyone else's. If I couldn't be happy, they couldn't be happy. I cast the curse on this idea."

"And now? What is your dream now?"

Regina smiled and pressed a kiss to Emma's temple,. "You," she murmured, "It's you. Love, companionship, a family, everything that I've always dreamed of is right at my fingertips and it all leads back to you. Everything I have now, everything we're going to have is because of you and the miracle that you love me."

"The feeling is mutual then," Emma replied with a smile, shifting impossibly closer to the older woman. "I never imagined that I could find someone that could love me, that would really love me. Growing up as an omega in a world that is mostly alphas and betas is not easy, believe me. Everybody seemed to want me for one reason or another, but no one ever really wanted _me_ you know? They all wanted Emma the omega rather than Emma the orphan."

"Mhm, I just want Emma, whatever title you choose to give yourself," Regina said. "Though you're not an orphan, not anymore technically."

Emma just sighed and pressed her face into Regina's neck. "No I guess not," she murmured, laughing quietly. "You know, this is everything I ever wanted when I was growing up, a family. And it seems coming here to live with Sarah, I found everything I ever wanted in a cursed town."

"I've never been a fan of fate. It always seemed to screw me over at some point, but I guess it worked in our favor this time." Regina turned on her side and brought Emma flush with her, feeling every inch of glorious, sun kissed skin pressed against her olive skin tone. It was quite an erotic sight, and caused the former queen to shudder. Gods what did she ever do to deserve a mate like Emma? Nothing in fact. She has done more to not deserve the beautiful blonde, done far too many wrong things in her life..

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, noticing the shift in the brunette.

"I was just thinking, wondering if you would still love me if you knew everything I've done, everything I did as the Evil Queen, the lives I've took, the people I've hurt…"

A sad smile crossed Emma's face and she scooted up a little until their faces were parallel with each other. "Regina," she murmured, "I do know. I know everything you did as the Evil Queen, all of the villages you destroyed, all of the hearts you ripped out, I know all of it."

"How?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "That stupid fairytale book, it was clearly written by someone with sympathies for heroes. It portrayed all of your deeds, every gory detail. I know all of that, and I'm still here. I still love you."

"Why? Why would you still love me after knowing all of that?" Tears were threatening to pour out of Regina's eyes and Emma just wrapped her arms around her mate and pulled her in tight.

"We've all done terrible things in our past Regina, me included, and that was a completely different world. What matters is what you do in this one, from now on. You're not the Evil Queen anymore, she's part of you, but not _you._ You're more than who she was Regina, I believe that, and I believe in you."

Regina wasn't going to cry, she told herself she wasn't going to cry, but even with that assertion, a few tears did escape as she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Emma's. "You know another one of my dreams," Regina whispered, opening her eyes, "One that has come to me recently."

"Tell me."

The darker woman smiled, "A smaller version of you, with long blonde princess curls and bright green eyes running rampant all over the house, us tucking her in after a long day, reading stories to her, teaching her how to walk, snuggled between us during a storm…"

The blonde smiled, "That does sound nice, though fantasies of our future children are best kept for a few years from now."

" _Our_ future children?" Regina teased.

"Yes, our children," Emma rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous sometimes."

"Just checking to make sure that we're on the same page."

Green eyes narrowed and Emma pushed Regina onto her back and clambered on top of her, straddling her waist. "Oh we're on the same page. Any children I have will be ours, together." Emma leaned down and ran her nose along the side of Regina's. "And since we're talking about the same page, the page I'm on says that I'm going to mount you, and ride you, right here right now. Is that the page you're on _Madame Mayor?"_

"Yes," Regina choked out, "Most definitely yes."

 **SQSQSQ**

Emma stared down at the stick in shock and awe. The little digital word taunting her. One little word and her whole life was changed forever. Frantically glancing up, she immediately connected with chocolate colored eyes. "Regina."

"We're pregnant." Regina felt elated at the information. Sure it could have waited until they were married, but she'd always wanted a family. "We're pregnant!"

"Oh shit!" Emma dropped the stick, burying her face in her hands. She was only twenty three, still learning what it was like to have parents and love, stability, safety. How could she be responsible for someone else?

Regina pulled Emma into her arms. "We both want children eventually. That eventually just happens to be in nine months now. Parenting is something we can figure out together. It will be alright!"

The sheriff softened, still freaked out at having life growing inside her, of being responsible for that life, but anything felt possible with Regina by her side. "I'm scared."

"Scared of what, my darling? I'll be by your side every step of the way. Sidney is spending the rest of his centuries in a used chamber pot at the bottom of the ocean. The pirates are now the janitorial staff for the town without any memory of ever serving Hook. Graham… he's gone. If anyone else dares even look at you wrong-"

"No, it's not that." Emma shook her head, leaning back a bit over Regina's arm around her waist to stare up at her. "I am still learning how to be a responsible adult. How can I raise someone else when I'm not done raising myself? How are we going to tell my moms? Oh god, they're going to kill us, well me first, then you, then me again."

Regina knew the women would be pissed at the timing, not yet married to Emma, but no one could stay mad at Emma, especially when she was upset. Everyone loved babies. Hopefully her optimism and excitement could prevail for a positive outcome in not getting murdered by them. "Raising a baby is trial and error. We will read all the books and figure things out as we go, what works for us, what doesn't. The first thing we need to do is schedule a doctor's appointment."

"You do not expect me to see Dr. Frankenstein. Hell no!" Emma shook her head, breaking free of Regina and moving away. "I put up with a lot of shit; fairytales being real, magic, mating, but I'll be damned if I let a quack mad man touch me again. It was bad enough when I was injured."

"Zelena is a trained midwife." Regina couldn't help but chuckle at Emma's antics.

A blonde brow rose. "You want your sister all up in my vagina? We moved on from medieval times. Keeping it all in the family is no longer acceptable."

Regina rolled her eyes, pulling Emma close to her. "You are absolutely utterly ridiculous." She leaned in and pressed a kiss to warm lips. Groaning, she pulled Emma closer, trying to deepen the kiss.

Emma giggled and maneuvered herself out of the mayor's arms. "Nuh-uh. This got us into our mess in the first place."

"Emma." The brunette pouted, pretending to sulk before reaching to grab for Emma, but the blonde just laughed and dodged away again. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I have to figure out how to tell my moms." Emma just shook her head, pulling out her phone to scope out Pinterest.

Maya cornered Regina, eyes narrowing as the brunette raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to Emma?"

"What makes you think I did anything? She seems normal to me." Regina did her best not to blush or falter under her friend's gaze. It had only been a few days. What was Emma doing when she went home that had Maya and Sarah suspicious?

"Regina Mills, do not make me repeat myself. What is going on?" Maya snarled, fingers twitching to unleash magic to aid in Regina's unwillingness to talk.

The mayor just shook her head. "If something is going on with Emma then you will have to ask her. She hasn't shared that anything was bothering her with me."

Maya growled, raking a hand through her hair as she began pacing. "We've tried, Sarah and I. Emma barely says two words to us, avoids spending any real time with us." Pouting, she studied her friend. "You really don't know?"

"I'm sorry. I'll try talking to her and figuring out what's going on." Regina offered a small smile, arranging things on her desk as a distraction. "She runs when things get too much."

Sighing, the blonde just nodded. Maya'd let the two continue their games, for now, but Emma wouldn't be able to hide from them forever. Once she knew the damage, they'd know what to do to Regina.

Sarah and Maya only let Emma avoid them for another two days before they both cornered her.

Emma's eyes went wide, panic creeping up as she looked for an exit knowing she couldn't lie to them. "Moms?" It came out as a squeak which seemed to amuse her mothers. "Something wrong?"

"You tell us, Emma." Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, face completely serious despite cracking up on the inside.

"Uh…." Emma looked at Maya for some help only to find a raised brow and piercing blue eyes.

"We're having family time." Maya grabbed Emma's wrist and tugged her along until they were in the living room. "Now! Sar, movie's your choice."

Emma sat between the two, fear causing nausea to roll through her. Wiping her sweaty palms on her pants, she turned to her mother. "Mom, wh-AT?!" Shaking in uncertainty, the young blonde could only watch in confusion as her mother leaned down and placed her head in her lap. "Mom?"

Sarah ignored Emma, closing her eyes and focusing for… ahhh there it was. Sitting up, she grinned over at her wife. "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Damn it!" Groaning, Maya stared at Emma incredulously. "Seriously?"

The sheriff was utterly confused. Had her mothers lost their minds? "You two alright? Do I need to get you to the hospital?" Emma let out a squeaked yelp of surprise as both women hugged her. "Kinda can't breathe," she gasped.

Maya laughed and stood up, retreating upstairs while Sarah adopted an unimpressed expression. "Emma Swan, you are in so much trouble!"

"What?" Emma watched as Lucca ran into the room with a sign on. "Hold still, silly." She managed to corral her pup long enough to read the sign. "Future big sister to a hum- Mom? You know?!"

"Of course I knew." Sarah laughed as Maya tossed the onesie at Emma, it landing right in her lap. She grabbed it before Lucca could. "Honey, you were not prepared for your heat, and you sought Regina out. You did exactly what evolution designed for procreation. I doubt either of you remembered to use protection in the moment."

Blushing profusely, Emma shook her head before reading the onesie her mother held up for her. 'Best Oops Ever'. Well at least they weren't mad at her...right? "You're okay with this?"

Maya sighed, sitting back down next to her daughter. "Are we happy that our friend and our daughter are having babies without being married? No, but we know Regina is your happiness, your True Love." She tapped the engagement ring on Emma's finger. "We also expect this wedding to be about you two and not the babies, because a marriage only for the sake of the children is bound to struggle."

"Oh, no. She, we, this was before we knew." Emma blinked up at her mothers, recalling the moment Regina proposed, blushing as memories of after flooding in too. "Regina and I love each other. I didn't plan on _this_ so soon, but it's happening. She's over the moon."

Sarah frowned, cupping Emma's chin to get her daughter to look at her. "Are you over the moon?"

Shrugging, Emma moved further into her mother's arms. "I'm scared. Regina's all nonchalant about it like 'it'll all come with time', 'we'll learn as we go', 'no worries', but I am worried. I have no idea what I'm doing. So far I've winged it getting myself by. A child deserves so much more than me winging it."

"Sweetheart." Sarah held her daughter, swaying back and forth as she felt Emma begin to cry. "All parents 'wing it' because no two situations and children are the same. You'll always have help, but I know that you're going to be amazing simply because you know how _not_ to parent."

Maya scooted closer to her girls. "We can learn together. I know it's terrifying, and there are going to be days you feel in over your head, overwhelmed, and a failure, but you've got us, Regina… You can always come talk to me about being a new parent."

"B-but you don't fail." Brows furrowed together, Emma swiped at the tears blocking her vision.

"You may not think so, and I'm glad, but this is all a new learning process for me too, and there are times I feel an utter failure or at a loss." Maya wriggled her fingers, a tissue appearing in her hand before she offered it to her daughter. "Any blowout diapers though and you'll have to pass that off to Regina."

Emma couldn't help but laugh through her tears as she wiped at her face. "This isn't fair. I had a whole gift box for you two. I thought you'd both for sure kill me. I've been making myself sick trying to figure out how to break the news."

Sarah shook her head and pulled Emma in tight to her chest. "My sweet, sweet girl, never _ever_ think there's anything you can't tell me, tell us. Our love is unconditional. Good, bad, ugly, beautiful, troublesome… whatever news you have for us we will always be here for you."

Before Emma could answer, purple smoke filled the room. When it cleared a worried Regina was standing there searching for Emma. She immediately dropped to her knees in front of her fiancé, reaching up to cup a soft, tear soaked cheek. "Darling, are you alright?"

"Yes." Emma smiled at her love before looking at each of her mothers in turn. "We were talking. This is for you." She handed the onesie over to Regina.

"Oh, so they know then." Regina read the onesie, trying not to be offended because her child was _not_ an oops. She adopted a smirk and decided to test her luck since no one had fried her yet. "Congratulations Grandmas."

 **FIN**


End file.
